TheDailyBlitz.com

According to Ian Rapport of the Boston Herald (via Pro Football Talk), Patriots receiver Randy Moss is in the market for a new agent to replace Tim DiPiero, his previous agent.

"To all the agents out there," Moss said, "I am a free man! I am looking for a new agent. I got this football thing under control, but going into my 13th year in the league, I'm still marketable. I'm looking for an agent that's going to get me out there with my marketing ability. I can shoot commercials. That's what I'm looking for right now -- that off-the-field money. I really wasn't into commercials, because I wanted to concentrate on one objective, being a better football player year-in and year-out. Now, late in my career, I'm still thinking I have some marketing opportunities out there. I need an agent or agency that's going to get out there and find those business deals off the field."

Moss, who is in the final year of his contract with the Patriots, also said that he's "not coming in to start any conflicts or be disgruntled."

In his three seasons with the Patriots, Moss has 250 receptions for 3,765 yards and 47 touchdowns in 48 games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who had a minor hip procedure about a month ago, won't be able to practice with the team until training camp.

But coach Tony Sparano is still holding him accountable to learn the playbook, which Sparano says is "like 90 percent" similar to Denver's playbook.

Not only is receivers coach Karl Dorrell quizzing Marshall as plays are being run during practice, Marshall is getting some written tests as well.

"That's been me saying to Karl, 'Let's make sure that Brandon is being held accountable for this information just like everybody else is,''' Sparano said Sunday, per Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald. "Brandon knows that. So his way of being held accountable right now has to be from a test standpoint, and out there verbally right now.''

Marshall, who is now the league's highest-paid receiver, has recorded three consecutive seasons with 100+ receptions and 1,100+ yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Seattle Seahawks released LenDale White yesterday in a surprise move only one month after acquiring the tequila-free running back.

After he was released, news circulated that White was facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy even though the Seahawks knew about the looming suspension at the time of the trade. Therefore, it was his lack of commitment -- not the pending suspension -- that led to the release.

According to Allen Wilson of The Buffalo News, the Seahawks inquired about the availability of Bills running back Marshawn Lynch before the NFL Draft. However, the compensation (a second-round pick) was cost-prohibitive for the Seahawks, who ultimately acquired LenDale White and Leon Washington during draft weekend.

Since the Bills drafted C.J. Spiller with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Lynch is the third back on the team's depth chart behind Fred Jackson, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2009, and Spiller. Wilson believes Buffalo may (or, at least, should) lower their trade demands, which would help facilitate sending Lynch to Seattle (or somewhere else).

With Lynch's position on the depth chart in Buffalo relatively secure, an opportunity in Seattle might be enough to kickstart his career after sub-par and suspension-shortened season in 2009. The risk with Lynch, however, would be similar to White's: a lack of commitment.

Lynch, who was the Bills' first-round pick in 2007, only rushed for 34.6 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry in 2009.

In each of his first two (of three) NFL seasons, however, Lynch rushed for over 1,000 yards. In those two seasons, Lynch had 2,635 combined yards from scrimmage.

If he joined the Seahawks backfield, he would have more 1,000-yard seasons (two) than the others (Justin Forsett, Julius Jones and Leon Washington) combined.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Running back LenDale White, who was released by the Seahawks today, will likely face a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network.

According to La Canfora's report, the Seahawks knew about the pending suspension when they acquired him over the NFL Draft weekend.

Instead, his release apparently had more to do with his (lack of) coachability, accountability and work ethic.

As Yahoo!'s Doug Farrar writes, it "sends a very strong message to the rest of the league" when you get released by your former college coach.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hopefully you didn't miss the LenDale White era in Seattle while you blinked.

After acquiring White in a draft-day trade with Tennessee, the Seattle Seahawks are going to release White.

In fact, the Seahawks site posted (and since removed) an article that you showed White was released, according to Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times. However, O'Neil has confirmed that White will be released.

"It became apparent at this time that LenDale was not ready to be a member of the Seattle Seahawks," [general manager John] Schneider said, per O'Neil. "It just did not appear to be the right fit at this point in our program. We wish LenDale all the best with his future."

This move clearly helps the fantasy value of running backs Justin Forsett and Leon Washington, who was also acquired via a trade during the NFL Draft weekend.

Since White lost 30 pounds by giving up the tequila before last season, it seems like LenDale's life (at least, football career) has gone straight downhill.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton says that "you want to be wanted," but he's "not sure" if he is or isn't in Dallas.

Therefore, while appearing on the Ben and Skin Show on ESPN 103.3 Radio in Dallas, Crayton admitted that the Cowboys have been informed that he wants a release (via TIm McMahon of ESPNDallas.com).

He wants the release so that he has the opportunity to catch on with another team as quickly as possible. However, he believes that the Cowboys won't release him (at least yet), because he's viewed by them as "the insurance guy. And I think from now on that'll be my nickname. I'm insurance."

In 2009, Crayton was third on the team in receiving (622 yards) behind Miles Austin and Jason Witten.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Like last year, Giants receiver Ramses Barden is impressing the coaching staff during off-season workouts, per Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger.

“The old adage of your biggest improvement should come between year one and two is absolutely essential to this guy to understand, and he does,” wide receivers coach Sean Ryan said (via Hutchinson). “To me, he’s more comfortable.”

Barden, who was a third-round pick in 2009, played in only three games and had only one reception, which came in week 17, last year.

“We haven’t been through minicamp yet, we haven’t been through training camp,” Barden cautioned. “I plan on continuing to grow and to continue to prove myself as a valuable asset offensively and on special teams.”

Most likely, Barden is worth drafting as a flier in only the deepest of leagues. However, his size (6-foot-6, 229 pounds) and decent speed make him a worthwhile consideration in dynasty leagues.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last season, Kevin Walter ranked second on the Houston Texans in receiving (611 yards). Although Walter missed the first two games of the season, he regressed and disappointed many fantasy owners that viewed him as a player poised for a breakout year.

In 2009, Walter averaged 43.6 receiving yards per game and scored only two touchdowns, both of which were three-year lows for him.

With Jacoby Jones impressing the coaching staff during the team's off-season team activities (OTAs), there's a chance that Walter could drop on the depth chart from the second to third receiver.

“He's pushing for more playing time on this football team,” [Texans coach Gary] Kubiak said (of Jones), per Jordan Godwin of the Houston Chronicle. “If the OTAs are any indication, he's doing a hell of a job.”

Jones, who was the team's third-round pick in 2007, led the team in yards per reception (16.2) and scored six touchdowns in 2009.

“We've all seen brilliant flashes as a player,” Kubiak said, “so if he gets that consistent mark, he has the ability to go up there and play with the best of them.”

Meanwhile, Jones attributes his development to becoming more mature.

“I started handling my business off the field, and it carried over onto the football field,” Jones said. “These days, I come in early and watch film and make sure I learn my playbook.”

Neither Walter nor Jones are in my top 50 fantasy wide receivers (although Andre Johnson is number one), but Jones, who is the 77th receiver off the board based on MockDraftCentral.com's report of average draft positions, will be a sleeper pick on many fantasy radars this year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Arguably the greatest defense of all-time was the 1985 Chicago Bears defense led by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan.

Now if linebacker Bart Scott realizes his goal for the New York Jets, he will make Buddy's son (Rex) the architect behind the NFL's greatest defense ever.

"You try and be the No. 1 defense ever," Scott said Thursday, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. "Why not? Why wouldn't you try and be the No. 1 defense ever?"

Despite finishing the 2009 as the NFL's top-ranked defense, the Jets experienced growing pains as the team implemented Rex Ryan's defense last year.

"The only field coaches we had last year were me, Marques Douglas and Jim Leonhard," Scott said, per Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. "Now you've got 22 people here that know the defense and can teach the defense."

Last year, the Jets allowed only 14.8 points and 252.3 yards per game.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not only have the Oakland Raiders parted ways with quarterback JaMarcus Russell back on May 7th, they are now seeking $9.55 million that they claim Russell is not entitled to keep, per Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.

In 2007, Russell signed a six-year contract worth $68 million, of which $32 million was guaranteed.

According to Cole, the dispute surrounds guaranteed money paid to Russell considered to be "advances" of his salary for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“We have filed a grievance against JaMarcus Russell and that’s all we’re going to say at this time,” Raiders attorney Jeff Birren said.

“The money in question was fully guaranteed. That is why JaMarcus was forced to hold out and miss all of training camp as a rookie,” said Eric Metz, one of Russell’s two agents. “The Raiders know that and this is our only comment.”

Based on his performance and work ethic, Russell didn't exactly earn the money whether the Raiders win the grievance or not.

After all, if he has received an estimated $39 million, he has been paid roughly $2.17 million per touchdown pass thrown.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is suspended for the first six games of the season, is now allowed to rejoin the team for off-season workouts starting on Tuesday.

Even though Roethlisberger has completed his behavioral evaluation sufficiently to return to the practice field, no decision has been made regarding a reduction (or increase, for that matter) in the length of his suspension.

"The commissioner will continue to monitor Roethlisberger's progress as he begins the next phase of his recommended plan and will meet with Roethlisberger again at the appropriate time," the league said, per ESPN. "There has been no decision on any modification to the length of Roethlisberger's suspension."

Based on the amount of snaps taken during the team's off-season practices, Byron Leftwich appears to lead the trio of Leftwich, Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon in the race to become the starter while Big Ben is out.

"We look forward to having Ben re-join his teammates on the practice field," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement, per Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

For the 2010 fantasy football season, Roethlisberger ranks 16th in my quarterback rankings (or seven spots lower than his pre-suspension ranking).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As a New York Jet, running back Leon Washington had his season cut short after suffering a compound fracture in his leg. The injury even threatened put his career in jeopardy.

As you can imagine, Washington, who was acquired by the Seahawks in exchange for a fifth-round pick, is eager to return to the field.

"I had no doubt, no doubt at all, that I could come back," Washington said, per Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times. "Once I got into that locker room and had a chance to talk with the doctors, I knew I'd have a chance to come back."

Although Washington didn't doubt his ability to return, he appreciates that the Seahawks took a chance on him.

"I feel like I owe these guys," Washington said of the Seahawks. "They knew what kind of football player I am, but they didn't know if I would be back healthy, so that shows they have confidence in me. I'm going to do everything I can to get back on the field and show them how thankful I am."

Washington is one of the most versatile backs, when healthy, in the NFL.

However, his fantasy value is tied to health and his role.

Justin Forsett can play the third-down-back role and LenDale White will likely get the short yardage and goalline work. At this point, Washington is outside of my top 40 fantasy running backs and I would rank White, who is also outside my top 40, ahead of Washington. (Forsett is just inside my top 40.)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Colts defensive end Robert Mathis hasn't attended the team's organized team activities (OTAs) in hopes of getting a new or re-worked contract, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Mathis, who ranks second all-time in team history in sacks (63), is under contract through the 2011 season. He is due to earn $2.3 million this year and $2.4 million next year.

Meanwhile, the Colts have a more pressing need of re-signing quarterback Peyton Manning, who's contract is up at the end of this season, to a long-term deal.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's a good problem to have for the Carolina Panthers. But probably not as much from the perspective of running back Deangelo Williams. (Or, from Jonathan Stewart's perspective, either.)

Not only did the Panthers have one 1,100-yard rusher (Williams), they had two (Stewart).

Williams, who was the team's first-round pick in 2006, is entering the final year of his five-year contract and hasn't received an offer yet from the team for an extension.

"I'd love to be here," Williams said (via Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer). "But somebody has to show me that they want me to be here. It's not my choice, unfortunately."

Either way, Williams is being professional about his contract situation.

"I'm in no shape, form or fashion upset with anybody because I haven't gotten a new deal," Williams said yesterday. "I just know at the end of this fifth year, somebody's got to make some decisions."

Stewart, who was the team's first-round pick in 2008, led the team in rushing in 2009. When given the opportunity for a heavy workload as Williams missed games down the stretch, The Daily Show put up strong numbers. In the final three games of the season, Stewart had 440 yards on three touchdowns on 69 carries.

While NFL teams need two backs these days, both Williams and Stewart will command lucrative deals on their next contracts.

So, can the Panthers afford to pay both of them when the time comes? Or will they need to choose one over the other?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Much speculation has surrounded the pecking order of the Dallas Cowboys running backs.

Who will start? Who will get the majority of the workload? Et cetera.

Regardless of which running back will be the starter or, more importantly, get the largest workload, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones likes what he's seeing from Marion Barber this off-season, per Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News.

"I know this: He looks quicker," Jones said. "I think that is going to make him even more effective. He's just in great shape. He looks as good out here just in these initial practices as I've seen him look in his career. You could easily go from there and look at what his role might be, and it'd certainly be on par with anything he's done."

In my updated fantasy football rankings, I moved Felix Jones up a few spots and Barber down a spot as I expect Jones to ultimately be the guy who gets a greater share of the workload as the season progresses (if not from the start).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NFL's sixth 2,000-yard rusher, Tennessee's Chris Johnson, is unhappy about his contract and could be a training-camp holdout if something isn't done about it.

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher hopes to meet with Johnson, who is due to earn $550,000 in 2010, between now and the team's mini-camp in mid-June.

"I would assume there will probably be a sit-down meeting with both sides between now and then and we’ll see what happens,’’ Fisher said, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “I think it makes sense to get everybody together and I think that’s what we’ll push for. There is no purpose, no set agenda right now. It makes sense to get together and try and sort things out. We clearly have an issue and we’re going to try and get it resolved. That’s really all I can say.’’

Johnson, the team's first-round pick in 2008, is scheduled to host a football camp during the same week of the Titans' mini-camp.

“He invited me to participate in his football camp but I told him I’d like for him to participate in mine,’’ Fisher joked.

As pointed out by ESPN's Paul Kuharsky, there are only two players -- Eric Dickerson (3,318) and Edgerrin James (3,262) -- in the history of the NFL that rushed for more yards in their first two seasons than has Chris Johnson (3,234).

In my fantasy football rankings, Johnson ranks first among running backs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Players have made predictions. In fact, players in Detroit have made predictions. (See Kitna, Jon)

And those players were wrong.

So, Lions receiver Nate Burleson isn't making a guarantee or promise. Instead, he's making or stating a goal.

Burleson said, "I want to win eight games or more," per Terry Foster of the Detroit News.

"Now if we can have that mind-set, that at the end of the day when we take our jerseys off and look up at the scoreboard, regardless of the result, did they respect us? That means we had a chance to win the game. We were good."

Burleson, who says everyone is "tired of baby steps," could be poised for a big season. He missed two games in 2009, but he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season.

With MegaTron getting all of the defense's attention, Burleson should see (almost exclusively) single coverage.

In my receiver rankings for the 2010 fantasy season, I ranked Burleson as the 34th-best receiver.

That is much higher than his current average draft position (ADP) of 77th WR at MockDraftCentral.com or as the 48th WR selected in the one-man mock draft of ESPN's Christopher Harris.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The New England Patriots and rookie receiver Taylor Price have agreed to terms of a contract, according to Ian Rappaport of the Boston Herald.

Price, who was drafted in the third round, will receive $3.35 million over four years.

Out of Ohio University, Price becomes the second Patriots' draftee to sign as well as the first third-rounder from this year's draft class.

Last year, Price finished with 56 catches for 784 yards with 5 touchdowns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Too often in the NFL, it's diva wide receivers making all the headlines. And usually for the wrong reasons.

But in the world of me-first athletes, Cowboys receiver Miles Austin is the anti-diva.

Austin splashed onto the scene with a record-setting performance (250 yards on 10 receptions) against the Chiefs last year and only Houston's Andre Johnson and New England's Wes Welker finished with more receiving yards on the season.

In other words, Larry Fitzgerald had less (than Austin). So did Brandon Marshall. And Randy Moss. And...well, you get the picture.

That said, Austin, who is due a big payday, isn't caught up in his contract and defers to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and David Dunn, his agent, when asked about the topic.

"Jerry is the guy you need to speak to about that,'' Austin said, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. "I'm doing my part and that's working hard and trying to get better to help the team.''

And there is no threat of Austin's contract situation becoming a distraction when training camp or the season nears.

"No, not at all,'' Austin said. "I mean, like I said, I'm just in here to work. I'm going to let Dave Dunn deal with all that type of stuff. I'm just working to get better."

"To be honest with you, work is work,'' Austin said. "When I was an undrafted free agent, I think I got like $10,000 to get here, and I was working just as hard as I am now."

In the final 12 games of the 2009 regular season, Austin caught 76 passes for 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Despite singing Austin's praises, I knocked him down two spots to number 10 in yesterday's update of my fantasy football rankings for receivers due to the buzz surrounding rookie receiver Dez Bryant.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Although we are more than two months away from the start of NFL training camps, we have already updated our initial fantasy football rankings from April 22nd.

Here are my (updated) Top 20 Fantasy TEs for 2010:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (previous 1): What's not to like? With a line of 100-1106-10, Clark ranked first in receptions, second in yards and third in touchdowns among tight ends.

2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (previous 2): Not really the #2 fantasy TE; more like the 1(a). Gates led tight ends -- and set a career-high -- in receiving yards (1,157) in 2009.

3. Vernon Davis, 49ers (previous 3): The wait is over. Davis finally broke out. Last year's numbers (78-965-13) were essentially better than his two previous seasons combined (83-867-6).

4. Brent Celek, Eagles (previous 4): Two of Celek's three 100-yard games came in the only two in which Kevin Kolb started. It's hard to not picture an even better season than what he produced in his breakout campaign (76-971-8).

5. Owen Daniels, Texans (previous 6): In an injury-shortened half-season, Daniels caught 40 passes for 519 yards and five touchdowns. His pace (80-1038-10) would have ranked him fourth in receptions, third in yards and tied for third in TDs among tight ends.

6. Jason Witten, Cowboys (previous 5): Witten had a "down" year of 94 receptions for 1,030 yards (and only two touchdowns). Many tight ends (or wide receivers) would love to have a "down" year like that. By drafting Dez Bryant in the first round, the Cowboys have another weapon competing for targets.

7. Jermichael Finley, Packers (previous 7): In his final eight games (including the Packers' post-season game), Finley finished with 44 receptions for 575 yards and four touchdowns. Despite missing three games, Finley still finished in the top ten in receiving yards among TEs in his second (and breakout) season.

8. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (previous 8): He's a bozo, but he has talent. And considering the weakness of the Buccaneers' receiving corps, he's the only legitimate weapon in the Bucs' passing attack.

9. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (previous 9): Arguably the greatest tight end ever. While Gonzalez is no longer the clear-cut top tight end in fantasy, he provides excellent value near the bottom of the top ten.

10. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (previous 10): Shiancoe has never surpassed 596 yards in one season, but he has been a touchdown machine over the past two seasons (18 TDs).

11. Chris Cooley, Redskins (previous 11): Cooley missed nine games last year due to a broken ankle, but he had 83 receptions for 849 yards in his last full season (2008).

12. Zach Miller, Raiders (previous 13): Only seven TEs had more receiving yards than Miller (805) had in 2009. In his three seasons, his receptions (44 to 56 to 66) and yards (444 to 778 to 805) have increased every season. And Miller should benefit from having quarterback Jason Campbell, a huge upgrade over JaMarcus Russell.

13. Heath Miller, Steelers (previous 12): Miller set career highs in receptions (76) and receiving yards (789) in 2009. How much will Ben Roethlisberger's six-game suspension affect his production in 2010?

14. John Carlson, Seahawks (previous 15): Carlson has been respectable but not spectacular in his first two NFL seasons(55-627-5 and 51-574-7, respectively), but he enters 2010 with a four-game touchdown streak.

15. Greg Olsen, Bears (previous 14): Typically, tight ends don't flourish in a Mike Martz offense. Olsen posted solid season totals (60-612-8) but he had less than 10 yards in four games.

16. Dustin Keller, Jets (previous 16): I expected Keller to have a breakout season in 2009, but 2010 could be his year as he had a highly productive 2009 post-season (12-181-3 in three games).

17. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (previous 17): In 26 games over two seasons as a Saint, Shockey has only 98 combined receptions for 1,052 yards and three touchdowns. In the Saints' get-the-ball-to-the-open guy offense, his average of 40.3 and 40.6 yards per game over the past two seasons are the two lowest of his eight-year career.

18. Kevin Boss, Giants (previous 18): In the final three weeks of his season, Boss finished with 15 receptions for 176 yards and one touchdown. That was an average of 58.7 yards per game during that span. He had 391 yards in his first 12 games for an average of 32.6 ypg. Boss had ankle surgery last week, but he should be ready for training camp.

19. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions (previous 19): Before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in week 12, Pettigrew had 15 receptions for 165 yards and two touchowns in his previous three games. That said, the addition of Tony Scheffler somewhat dims Pettigrew's outlook for the 2010 season.

20. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals (previous unranked): Gresham significantly upgrades the Bengals at the tight end position. In my rookie rankings, I had Gresham a notch ahead of New England's Rob Gronkowski.

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs

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Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Although we are more than two months away from the start of NFL training camps, we have already updated our initial fantasy football rankings from April 21st.

Here are my (updated) Top 50 Fantasy WRs for 2010:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (previous 1): For me, this is (still) a no-brainer. Johnson, who was the third overall pick in 2003, has posted back-to-back 100-reception, 1,500-yard seasons.

2.Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (previous 2): Over the past three seasons, Fitzgerald has caught a combined 293 passes for 3,932 yards and 35 touchdowns. But it's an understatement to say Matt Leinart (or Derek Anderson) is a downgrade from Kurt Warner, who retired this off-season.

3. Calvin Johnson, Lions (previous 5): After a stellar sophomore campaign (78-1331-12), MegaTron battled nagging injuries in 2009 and even missed two games. Johnson, who has worked out with QB Matthew Stafford four times per week since March, is optimistic about the team's offense in 2010.

4. Randy Moss, Patriots (previous 3): All five of his 100-yard games came in the first nine weeks and his attitude and motivation were questioned by some down the stretch. But he has scored 47 touchdowns over the past three seasons. It's hard to question that production.

5. Reggie Wayne, Colts (previous 6): Only three players (two receivers) finished the season with at least 100 receptions, 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. If you own Wayne, hope for a few Colts' early-season losses so Wayne plays more than a half in your fantasy championship game.

6. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (previous 4): Marshall, who had hip surgery that will keep him out until training camp, has had 100+ receptions and 1,100+ yards for three consecutive seasons.

7. Roddy White, Falcons (previous 7): Only Andre Johnson (171) had more targets than did White (165) in 2009. In the past three seasons, White has been consistent: 83, 88 and 85 receptions as well as 1,202, 1,382 and 1,153 yards, respectively. Even better, he set a career-high in TDs (11) in 2009.

8. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (previous 9): Despite his size, Jackson is one of most explosive big-play receivers in the league. He ranked second in yards (18.5) per reception and first in the league in receptions of 40 yards or more (10).

9. Sidney Rice, Vikings (previous 10): A waiver-wire pick-up, Rice had more receiving yards than all but three receivers in 2009. Assuming a Favre return, which seems (even more) likely after Friday's ankle surgery, Rice should have another monster season in 2010.

10. Miles Austin, Cowboys (previous 8): The list? Andre Johnson and Wes Welker. The topic? Receivers who had more yards than Austin in 2009. The addition of rookie Dez Bryant, who was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round, will take away some targets for Austin in 2010.

11. Marques Colston, Saints (previous 11): Colston is the best receiver in the league's most explosive offense (31.9 points and 403.8 yards per game). Quarterback Drew Brees spreads the ball around, however, as Colston had less than five receptions in half of his games.

12. Greg Jennings, Packers (previous 12): From weeks 4-14, Jennings had only one 100-yard game. In his final four games (counting playoffs), Jennings had three 100-yard games.

13. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (previous 13): Jackson spent four days in jail this off-season after a second DUI arrest is likely facing a suspension by the league. In addition, Jackson, who is a restricted free agent, is currently not attending the team's voluntary workouts. That said, Jackson had his best season (68-1167-9) in 2009.

14. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (previous 14): The physical receiver should be a perfect fit into his new offense as he settles in as the Ravens' No. 1 receiver.

15. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (previous 15): Ochocinco bounced back in 2009 with 72 receptions for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. However, quarterback Carson Palmer threw for only 1,262 yards, seven TDs and six interceptions in the final eight games of 2010. Ochocinco's splits: 1st half (44-639-5) vs 2nd half (28-408-4). Coincidence?

16. Steve Smith, Panthers (previous 16): With the exception of 2004 (played only one game), 2009 was the first season where Smith fell short of 1,000 yards since 2002. That said, he did play better with Matt Moore (not Jake Delhomme) under center.

17. Hines Ward, Steelers (previous 17): Ward, who said he will retire if he wins a third Super Bowl this year, had 95 receptions (tied for second-most in his career) and 1,167 (second-most) last season.

18. Steve Smith, Giants (previous 18): Smith finished fourth in the NFL in targets (157) in 2009 and set career highs in receptions (107), yards (1,220) and TDs (seven). Smith had four (or more) receptions 15 times and at least 40 yards receiving every week.

19. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (previous 25): The Chiefs' passing attack should improve with the addition of Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator. Despite a down (suspension-shortened) season, Bowe had 995 and 1,022 in his previous (first) two NFL seasons.

20. Derrick Mason, Ravens (previous 20): With Boldin in the mix, it's hard to envision Mason finishing 13th in the league in targets (like he did in 2009).

21. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (previous 21): MSW's strong start (minus a missed game due to a missed curfew for a bootie call) was followed up with an equally weak ending to his second season. In his final six games, Sims-Walker had only 16 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown (or 3.8 fantasy points per game during that stretch).

22. Michael Crabtree, 49ers (previous 23): Despite being the second receiver drafted in 2009, Crabtree led all rookies in receiving yards (56.8) per game. Plus, he had four (or more) receptions in nine of his 11 games played. Imagine if he had attended training camp and learned the whole offense.

23. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (previous 26): Of rookies, only Michael Crabtree (56.8 yards per game) averaged more receiving yards per game than Nicks (56.4 ypg). Only Austin Collie caught more TDs (seven). And only Mike Wallace had more 40-yard catches (six) than Nicks.

24. Wes Welker, Patriots (previous 24): Despite missing two games, Welker led the NFL in receptions (123) and finished second in receiving yards (1,348). Welker's 2010 fantasy value (and future position on this list) will largely be determined by how quickly and fully he returns from off-season ACL surgery. So far, Welker is "happy" with the progress of his rehab.

25. Donald Driver, Packers (previous 27): Although he just turned 35 in February, Driver had his sixth consecutive season with at least 70 receptions and 1,000 yards in 2009.

26. Santonio Holmes, Jets (previous 19): After a breakout campaign (79-1248-5) in 2009, Holmes will serve a four-game suspension in 2010 and moves to a run-first offense with a second-year (but developing) quarterback.

27. Steve Breaston, Cardinals (previous 22): One of the main reasons the Cards were willing to trade Boldin to Baltimore, Breaston has performed well as part of the high-flying Cardinals offense. That said, how high will it fly with Leinart at the helm.

28. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (previous 30): After a solid rookie campaign (55-762-4), Maclin should continue to develop in 2010.

29. Percy Harvin, Vikings (previous 31): Assuming a return by Brett Favre, my only concern about Harvin is the migraine issues he has. Although he's a tough player, he was often a game-time decision. He led rookie receivers in receiving yards (790) and was tied for second in touchdowns (six).

30. Mike Wallace, Steelers (previous 29): Wallace, a big-play receiver who led the NFL in yards (19.4) per reception, will see an expanded role within the offense now that Santonio Holmes is now playing football in Jersey.

31. Pierre Garcon, Colts (previous 28): Garcon led NFL receivers with 21 post-season receptions for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Granted only the Colts, Jets and Saints played three playoff games, Garcon is poised for a strong 2010.

32. Kenny Britt, Titans (previous 32): Britt is a big (6-foot-3, 218 pounds), athletic receiver and should continue to improve in his second season.

33. Devin Aromashodu, Bears (previous 33): In the final five games of the season, Aromashodu ranked 15th in the NFL in targets (41). And he caught 22 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns in the final four games of the season. With Mike Martz calling the plays, I expect big things from Aromashodu in 2010.

34. Nate Burleson, Lions (previous 34): As the Lions' No. 2 receiver across from MegaTron, Burleson will only see single coverage. In 13 games last year, he finished with 812 yards and 62.5 yards per game average would have projected to 1,000 yards flat over a 16-game season.

35. Robert Meachem, Saints (previous 36): Meachem needs to be more consistent, but the former first-round pick had a second-half split of 32-426-6. That said, he disappeared in the post-season (4-25-0).

36. Chris Chambers, Chiefs (previous 37): In the final eight games of the season, Chambers finished with 33 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns.

37. Davone Bess, Dolphins (previous 38): As the "anti-Lee Evans," Bess caught three (or more) passes in every game. Although he only scored two touchdowns, Bess finished with 76 receptions and 758 yards in his second season. The addition of Brandon Marshall should aid the development of Bess, who will get less attention from defenses.

38. Austin Collie, Colts (previous 42): Collie tied Minnesota rookie Percy Harvin for the lead among rookies in receptions (60) and no rookie receiver had more touchdowns (seven) than Collie.

39. Mario Manningham, Giants (previous 39): In two seasons, he's only played 21 total games. But Manningham had a nice second season (57-822-5).

40. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (previous unranked): Due to his alma mater, size and athleticism, Thomas has been compared to Calvin Johnson. While that may be an unfair comparison, the first-receiver drafted should begin his NFL career as his team's No. 1 receiver.

41. Santana Moss, Redskins (previous 35): Although Jason Campbell played reasonably well last year, Moss should benefit from the upgrade at QB with Donovan McNabb under center even though he finished with 70 receptions for 902 yards in 2009. Being linked to the Anthony Galea-HGH scandal, however, could lead to a league-imposed suspension. If so, Moss would drop further in our rankings.

42. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (previous unranked): Although Roy Williams says there "ain't no such thing as me sitting on the bench," Bryant will be the team's second-most productive fantasy receiver. Even cornerback Mike Jenkins says that he will be a "big-time receiver" someday.

43. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (previous 40): Although he finished with 79 receptions (tied for 13th in the NFL), Houshmandzadeh is a possession receiver that doesn't have much upside above his 2009 numbers (911 yards, three touchdowns).

44. Braylon Edwards, Jets (previous 41): With Santonio Holmes in New Jersey (for up to 12 games), the 2007 version (80-1289-16) of Edwards seems as likely as the 2007 version of Derek Anderson (3,787 yards and 29 TDs).

45. Early Doucet, Cardinals (previous 43): His two-game post-season (14-145-2) was close to his nine-game regular-season numbers (17-214-1). As the team's No. 3 WR in 2010, he should continue to build upon his post-season success.

45. Antonio Bryant, Bengals (previous 45): Injuries set back Bryant in 2009 (39-600-4 in 13 games) after a career-year (83-1,248-7) in 2008.

46. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (previous 46): Cotchery was the favorite target of Mark Sanchez in 2009. That's likely to change when Santonio Holmes comes off suspension. In either case, Cotchery posted four-year lows in receptions (57) and yards (821) in 2009.

47. Roy Williams, Cowboys (previous 47): Despite his seven touchdowns, 68 receivers had more receptions and 55 receivers had more yards than Williams. Then again, he's shown us a 1,310-yard season (2006), too. There is a little bit of buzz around Williams in the Cowboys' off-season workouts, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach.

48. Lee Evans, Bills (previous 44): In half of his games, Evans had two or less receptions. In half of his games, Evans had 35 yards or less. No thanks. You can have him.

50. Malcom Floyd, Chargers (previous 50): Floyd had his best game of the season in his last one (nine catches for 140 yards) and his second half (32 catches for 496 yards) was considerably better than his first half (13 catches for 280 yards).

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 20 TEs

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Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Although we are more than two months away from the start of NFL training camps, we have already updated our initial fantasy football rankings from April 19th.

Here are my (updated) Top 40 Fantasy RBs for 2010:

1. Chris Johnson, Titans (previous 1): 2,006 yards. 11 straight 100-yard games. That's virtually impossible to repeat, but with 4.24 speed, Johnson can take it to the house on any given play. Provided he doesn't hold out (at least, for more than training camp).

2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (previous 2): I would love to get AD as the second running back. Too many other weapons in Vikes' offense (assuming a Favre return, which seems like a lock after ankle surgery) and only one football to take over "Every Coach's Dream" for the top spot.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (previous 3): Is MJD dynamic? Absolutely. Could he be the most productive RB in fantasy? Possibly. But, for inexplicable reasons, MJD will have games with 6 or 8 carries. What if that's week 16?

4. Ray Rice, Ravens (previous 4): Rice led RBs in receptions (78) and receiving yards (702) in 2009. He was one of only two backs to have over 2000 yards from scrimmage.

5. Michael Turner, Falcons (previous 5): The good news? Turner didn't take the punishment of another 394-carry (counting playoffs) season in 2009. The bad news? It was because of his ankle injury. With good health (knock on wood), The Burner should be a top-five fantasy back in 2010.

6. Steven Jackson, Rams (previous 6): With the Rams lack of offensive weapons to complement Jackson, opposing defenses knew what was coming. Yet Jackson still finished second in the NFL in rushing, which is more remarkable considering the back issues he had last year. This off-season, Jackson had back surgery, but he expects to be ready for training camp.

7. Frank Gore, 49ers (previous 8): With two first-round picks, the 49ers drafted two offensive linemen (Trent Williams and Mike Iupati). And just as importantly for his fantasy value, they didn't draft running back C.J. Spiller (who was selected by the Bills).

8. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (previous 7): Starting in week four, Mendenhall rushed for 1,068 yards and seven TDs in the final 13 games of the season. (That's a 1300-yard pace.) With Fast Willie in D.C. now, a repeat (or even an improvement) of that pace seems likely.

9. Cedric Benson, Bengals (previous 9): As a back I recommended to target in 2009 fantasy drafts, Benson led the NFL in rushing for a good part of the season. Benson will be the featured workhorse again in 2010.

10. Ryan Grant, Packers (previous 10): As the runner for one of the league's best aerial assaults, Grant should continue to see a lot of seven-men fronts with lanes to run. He's a steady producer that's often overlooked on draft day.

11. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (previous 11): One of the league's top backs although the Panthers have the league's best back-up RB, he has rushed for 2,632 yards and scored 27 touchdowns (25 rushing and two receiving) in the past two seasons.

12. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (previous 12): With the retirement of Kurt Warner and departure of Anquan Boldin (to Baltimore), the Cardinals will likely rely more on their running game in 2010. And Wells, who had 338 rushing/receiving yards in his last four games, should be ready to capitalize.

13. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (previous unranked): Mathews will be the top-ranked rookie running back. Not only does he have the skills (NCAA's second-leading rusher), Chargers coach Norv Turner expects Mathews to get around 250 carries in 2010. Only nine running backs had more in 2009.

14. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (previous 12): Charles tore it up in the second half (968 rushing yards, 158 receiving yards and eight total TDs) including a record-setting performance in the finale, but the Chiefs have added Thomas Jones, who rushed for a career-high 1,402 yards in 2009. And Charles and Jones don't seem to be selfish, which is great for the Chiefs and bad for fantasy.

15. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (previous 14): We saw what The Daily Show could do without DeAngelo Williams in the lineup: (440 rushing yards in final three games). Barring an injury to Williams, however, Stewart will get less than 50 percent of the available touches, which keeps him from reaching his full potential.

16. Shonn Greene, Jets (previous 15): The Jets replaced one thirty-something back with another, but it's Greene's team now. And with arguably the league's best line in front of him, he should have a monster season.

17. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (previous 17): Moreno led all rookies in rushing (947 yards) and finished 16th overall even though he failed to go over the 50-yard mark in seven of his 16 games. He should be more consistent in 2010.

18. Pierre Thomas, Saints (previous 18): With the off-season departure of Mike Bell, Thomas should get more carries in 2010 than given in 2009 (147). In 14 games, he finished with 1,095 (793 rushing and 302 receiving) yards in 2009 and averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt.

19. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (previous 19): When healthy, he's elite. However, he's missed 20 games in his five-year career. Therefore, his best season was 2006 when he finished with 1,008 rushing yards. Feeling lucky?

20. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (previous 21): The days of Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are over in Philly. In the eight games that Westbrook missed in 2009, McCoy rushed for 473 yards and four TDs and caught 22 passes for 163 yards. A combined rushing/receiving total of 1,300+ seems reasonable for 2010.

21. Joseph Addai, Colts (previous 22): In 2009, Addai never rushed for more than 79 yards in a game and averaged only 3.8 yards per carry. That said, he finished with 13 total touchdowns in 15 games and had scores in ten of those games. Plus, his 51 receptions tied for sixth among running backs.

22. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (previous 23): After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Jacobs rushed for only 835 yards despite getting a career-high 224 carries. Even worse, his TD production dropped from 15 in 2008 to five in 2009. While there's a chance that Ahmad Bradshaw could get more of an even split of carries in 2010, it's hard to imagine a back with Jacobs' combination of size and speed not bouncing back in 2010.

23. Felix Jones, Cowboys (previous 26): Jones, who is a big-play threat, could become the starter in 2010. In two playoff games, Jones rushed for 217 yards on 30 carries (average of 7.2 YPC).

24. Ricky Williams, Dolphins (previous 24): He proved he can post big numbers if (or when) Ronnie Brown misses action. But these numbers -- 751 combined yards and seven TDs in nine games -- came with Brown in the lineup.

25. Fred Jackson, Bills (previous 20): When he received the bulk of work (over Marshawn Lynch), Jackson flourished as one of only 15 running backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark helped by a 212-yard performance in the season finale. He also finished tenth among RBs in receptions (46). The main question is how will the Bills use first-rounder C.J. Spiller?

26. Marion Barber, Cowboys (previous 25): Double-digit touchdowns are no longer a lock, Felix Jones may be the featured guy in 2010 and MBIII struggled to stay healthy last year. Therefore, he's the second-best fantasy running back on the team in 2010.

27. Jerome Harrison, Browns (previous 18): By drafting Montario Hardesty (who has since impressed coach Eric Mangini) in the second round, Harrison will have to share the workload with the rookie. But in the final three weeks of the season, Harrison had 561 yards and five touchdowns on 106 carries. Then again, he had only 88 carries for 301 yards and no scores in his other 11 games played. So, I guess we'll see.

28. Cadillac Williams, Buccaneers (previous 31): Cadillac had a solid (and, more importantly, healthy) season. His best month of the season was his last as he rushed for 301 yards in four December games with an average of 4.7 yards per carry.

29. Matt Forte, Bears (previous 30): This consensus top-five pick in 2009 was arguably fantasy football's biggest disappointment. With newcomers Mike Martz and Chester Taylor in town, 2010 is likely to be more like 2009 (929 rushing yards) than 2008 (1,238 rushing yards) for Forte.

30. Thomas Jones, Chiefs (previous 27): Thirty-something running backs tend to see precipitous declines in production. Despite setting career-highs in rushing yards and touchdowns, Jones will back up Jamaal Charles in 2010.

31. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (previous 28): L.T. called his game film from last year "misleading." But he's gone from 1,474 yards (315 carries) to 1,110 yards (292 carries) to 730 yards (223 carries). Despite moving to a team with arguably the best offensive line, the trend is fairly obvious.

32. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (previous 29): Bradshaw averaged 1.1 yards per carry more than Jacobs and scored two more touchdowns despite getting 61 fewer carries. Bradshaw had off-season surgery on his feet and ankle, but he says that he feels "10 times better."

33. C.J. Spiller, Bills (previous unranked): Like the guy that tops this list, Spiller is a big-play threat with world-class speed that can take it to the house on any given play.

34. Ben Tate, Texans (previous unranked): Steve Slaton says that he's "100 percent." That said, the Texans traded up to draft Ben Tate, who ranked third on my list of rookie running backs for fantasy football. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Tate being the Texans' leading rusher in 2010.

35. Jahvid Best, Lions (previous unranked): The Lions moved back up into the first round to select Best. With a healthy Kevin Smith or not, it appears as though Best will get a larger workload than Smith.

36. Michael Bush, Raiders (previous 34): Bush led the Raiders in rushing in 2009 with 589 yards. With Justin Fargas no longer in the mix, there will be more carries for Bush and Darren McFadden. Despite McFadden's potential, Bush has produced (career 4.6 yards per carry) when given a chance.

37. Montario Hardesty, Browns (previous unranked): Hardesty has impressed the coaching staff in Cleveland with his physical running style and ability to pick up the offense and should push Jerome Harrison for carries in 2010.

38. Kevin Smith, Lions (previous 33): After off-season knee surgery, Smith might not be ready (or 100 percent) for the start of the season. Smith had 747 rushing yards and 415 receiving yards in 13 games in 2009, but the addition of Jahvid Best obviously hurts his fantasy value.

39. Steve Slaton, Texans (previous 36): There are plenty of concerns: fumbles lost, off-season neck surgery (although he says he's "100 percent") and Houston drafting Ben Tate. But in 11 games last year, Slaton still racked up 854 combined yards and scored seven touchdowns. That's a pace of 1,242 yards and ten touchdowns. Plus, he had 1,659 combined yards and 10 TDs in his 2008 rookie campaign.

40. Justin Forsett, Seahawks (previous 32): It looked as though the new regime led by coach Pete Carroll would give Forsett a fair shot to win the role as the featured back over Julius Jones. Although the Seahawks didn't draft competition for Forsett, they traded for LenDale White, who played for Carroll at USC, and for Leon Washington, who's one of the league's most versatile backs (when healthy). For now, I'm going to keep Forsett ahead of the other Seattle backs, but that could change.

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

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Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Although we are more than two months away from the start of NFL training camps, we have already updated our initial fantasy football rankings from April 5th.

Here are my (updated) Top 25 Fantasy QBs for 2010:

1. Drew Brees, Saints (previous 1): No QB has passed for more yards (9,457) or touchdowns (68) than Brees over the past two seasons. In fact, his 4,388 passing yards was his worst performance over the past four seasons due to missing week 17 to rest for the playoffs. That said, most fantasy owners don't care about week 17 anyways.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (previous 2): After back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, it wouldn't surprise me if Rodgers finished 2010 as the top-ranked fantasy passer and made Packer fans (or, at least, fantasy owners) ask, "Brett who?"

3. Peyton Manning, Colts (previous 3): A student of the game? More like a coach on the field. 4,000+ yards and 25+ TDs should be a lock. Given the Colts' disregard for making history, the potential of locking up the division early and playing for one half in week 16 again is perhaps Peyton's biggest flaw as a fantasy quarterback.

4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (previous 4): He's one of four QBs that have passed for 4,000 yards in each of the past two seasons and only Brees has thrown more TDs during that stretch. Expect even more passing in the post-LT era.

5. Tom Brady, Patriots (previous 5): Although Wes Welker may not be ready to go week one, he is "happy" about the progress of his rehab. And with Randy Moss, Julian Edelman, Torry Holt and a pair of pass-catching rookie tight ends (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez), Brady should be in for a big year.

6. Tony Romo, Cowboys (previous 7): His impressive play down the stretch along with the emergence of Miles Austin provides plenty of momentum for 2010. The Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant, who cornerback Mike Jenkins said will be a "big-time receiver" someday, and Roy Williams claims that he and Romo are "connecting like Montana and Rice."

7. Matt Schaub, Texans (previous 6): Schaub led the NFL in passing yards despite being without his stud tight end (Owen Daniels) for half of the year.

8. Brett Favre, Vikings (previous 8): As expected, Favre took the first step in returning for another season by having ankle surgery on Friday. With the weapons in the Minnesota offense, 3,800+ yards and 25+ touchdowns seems reasonable for the 40-year-old.

9. Eli Manning, Giants (previous 11): With a core group of young receivers (Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, etc.), Eli set career highs in yards (4,021) and TDs (27).

10. Donovan McNabb, Redskins (previous 10): McNabb's 16-game pace (he missed two) in 2009 was 4,060 yards and 25 TDs. Replicating that production over a full season in Washington will be difficult considering the downgrade in weapons in the passing game. (Also, Santana Moss could face a league suspension with his alleged ties to the Anthony Galea-HGH scandal.)

11. Joe Flacco, Ravens (previous 13): First, the Ravens acquired Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth. Then, they drafted two pass-catching tight ends (Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta). Flacco should exceed his 2009 numbers of 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns.

12. Jay Cutler, Bears (previous 12): Without Martz, Cutler passed for 3,666 yards and 27 TDs despite a career-high in interceptions (26). If Martz can reign in the gunslinger from throwing unnecessary drive-ending interceptions, he just might take a big step forward.

13. Matt Ryan, Falcons (previous 14): Despite his sophomore slump, partly due to injury (most of three games), Ryan has weapons such as Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez at his disposal and should be poised for a bounce-back year. And in 14 games, he still threw 22 touchdowns.

14. Kevin Kolb, Eagles (previous 15): With weapons like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kolb finish in the 10-12 range of fantasy quarterbacks in 2010 with the Eagles' pass-first offense.

15. Carson Palmer, Bengals (previous 16): Palmer threw for only 1,262 yards, seven TDs and six interceptions in the final eight games of 2010. That needs to be better. But the Bengals have added new receivers Antonio Bryant, Matt Jones and rookies Jordan Shipley and Dezmon Briscoe in addition to significantly upgrading their tight end position by drafting Jermaine Gresham with their first-round pick.

16. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (previous 9): Only Brees and Schaub had more passing yards per game than Big Ben (288.5) in 2009. The problem is you won't get their per-game production until he serves his six-game (possibly four-game) suspension. Plus the team's leading receiver from 2009 was traded to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick.

17. David Garrard, Jaguars (previous 17): Garrard has quietly been a steady fantasy producer over the past two seasons. As a back-up QB on your fantasy team, hope that your starter has his bye when Garrard is at home (over 2,000 yards and 12 TDs at home last year).

18. Jason Campbell, Raiders (previous 24): Last year, Campbell posted career highs in passing yards (3,618) and TDs (20). It will be difficult to surpass those numbers in Oakland considering the lack of weapons in their passing game. But that's not Campbell's fault.

19. Matthew Stafford, Lions (previous 22): The Lions added Nate Burleson, a huge upgrade at the WR2 position, in free agency to help last year's top pick. He and MegaTron have been working together four days a week since March to work on their chemistry. Last year, Stafford led the NFL in pass attempts per game (37.7) and considering the Lions are still a year away, it's likely that Stafford will be airing the ball out in 2010 as well.

20. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (previous unranked): With Charlie Weis calling the plays, Cassel will look to build upon his 2009 numbers (2,924 yards and 16 touchdowns). In addition, the Chiefs drafted Dexter McCluster, who is in the mold of Darren Sproles and should give the Chiefs another weapon in the passing game. A potential drawback? Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones have more 2009 rushing yards than any RB tandem in the NFL even if they compiled those yards on separate teams.

21. Vince Young, Titans (previous 18): It's been an interesting ride for Young, who once again appears to be the franchise's QB of the future. This is still a run-first team, but VY can make plays with his legs. During the Titans 7-1 run from weeks 8 to 15, Young threw 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

22. Alex Smith, 49ers (previous 20): Vernon Davis broke out. Michael Crabtree showed up. Smith got a second chance (after agreeing to a paycut will on his honeymoon, mind you.). Will he take another step forward in 2010?

23. Chad Henne, Dolphins (previous unranked): Since our first quarterback ranking, the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall. Although Marshall had a third hip surgery and won't be able to practice until training camp, the significant upgrade in the Dolphins' receiving corps should help Henne make big strides in 2010.

24. Mark Sanchez, Jets (previous unranked): The addition of Santonio Holmes to the Jets' offense, which means the Jets will use three-receiver sets more frequently, is a boon to Sanchez. If he can limit (or, better yet, avoid) the three-plus-interception games (he had four last year), Sanchez will finish higher than the 23rd-ranked fantasy quarterback at the end of the season.

25. Matt Moore, Panthers (previous 23): With Jake Delhomme out of the picture (and the threat of Jimmy Clausen taking over), Moore will get an opportunity to build on his 2009 success (61.6% completion, 8 TDs, 2 INTs). That said, how long is his leash? (Vote on our poll: Who will the Panthers' starting QB in week 17?)

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

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Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Before the NFL Draft, I ranked the top 50 wide receivers for the 2010 fantasy football season. On that list were two Bears: Devin Aromashodu (33rd) and Earl Bennett (49th).

According to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, the starting receivers for the Bears -- at least, for now -- will be neither Aromashodu nor Bennett. Instead, the top two receivers on the depth chart will be Devin Hester and Johnny Knox.

In 2009, Hester led the Bears in receiving with 757 yards and Bennett was second with 717 yards. Fourth on the team after tight end Greg Olsen, Knox ranked third (among receivers) with 527 yards.

Aromashodu, who ranked fourth among receivers last year, will get an opportunity to play an integral (and expanded) role in the passing offense.

''Aromashodu has stepped up quite a bit -- significantly, and we've moved him in to a role now where we're trying to see what he can do, and get him the ball a little bit more,'' [offensive coordinator Mike] Martz said.

In the final four games of the season, Aromashodu caught 22 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns.

''I expect to come out every game and put up some good numbers,'' Aromashodu said. ''That's what I expect of myself. I'm going to take my skills to the next level. That's the next level, to play like a starter, so that's what I feel I am.''

While Aromashodu may not be named as a starter, most expect him to "play like a starter" as he is still the first Bears' receiver off the boards in early fantasy football drafts this year.

Here are the average draft positions (ADPs) of the Bears' receivers in fantasy football drafts, according to MockDraftCentral.com: Aromashodu (40th WR - 114th overall), Hester (48-129), Knox (66-188) and Joaquin Iglesias (78-227).

(FYI: I will be releasing updated rankings for wide receivers as well as quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends on Monday.)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the way 2009 ended for him, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles seemed poised for a monster year in 2010.

That optimism was stunted by the signing of free-agent running back Thomas Jones, who was the third-ranked rusher in the league last year. However, Charles (and Jones, for that matter) has the right attitude based on what's being said so far.

“I knew we had to get another playmaker and somebody to help me out,” Charles said, per Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. “He’ll get some carries, I’ll get some carries. I don’t have any problem with that. It’s turning into a two-back league, anyway. ... When I go out of the game, I know we’ve got somebody that can pick us up. I don’t have to hurry up and catch my breath and go back in the game.”

Meanwhile, Jones looks at it as an opportunity for the offense to use two backs that will have the ability to go with the guy who's hot.

“It just depends on the situation," Jones said. "You’ll have some games where if one guy’s hot, he’ll continue to carry the ball. If a guy presents a matchup problem for the defense, then that guy will play. At the end of the day it’s all about the team, it’s all about how each individual guy can help us win. We all have different strengths and we all have different weaknesses. It’s just about putting the right guy on the field at the right time.”

This off-season, Charles had shoulder surgery and says it's "holding up fine.” He expects to be ready for training camp.

No other 2010 running back tandem had more combined rushing yards (albeit on a separate teams) than this duo, who were two of the league's 13 rushers to finish with 1,100+ yards.

Whether either of them rushes for 1,100+ yards in 2010 is the question.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the off-season acquisition of receiver Santonio Holmes, the New York Jets are likely to use more three-receiver sets in their offense this year.

“You know we like to run the ball,” [offensive coordinator Brian] Schottenheimer said, per Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News. “You know we like to have a fullback in there. But you want to try to keep people off balance and we’re going to try to play our best players. You’re going to see (Holmes, [Jerricho] Cotchery, [Braylon] Edwards and [Dustin] Keller) in all kinds of positions.”

Last year, the Jets ranked first in the NFL in rushing (172.3 yards per game) and second-to-last in passing (148.8 ypg) offense. Moreover, they were one of only two teams to finish with more rushing than passing yards. (Cleveland was the other team to do so.)

Schottenheimer also said that he is teaching Holmes, who has typically played split end, the role of flanker and slot receiver so that he can be more versatile in the offense.

Meanwhile, Holmes, who will begin the season serving a four-game suspension, is placing his focus more on wins than on personal statistics.

“I came here with a mindset to win a championship," Holmes said. "If I can get in those guys' heads that I would trade in 90 catches, 1000 yards for a Super Bowl ring, that’s the mentality we got to have as a team. I can go every game this season and only catch two passes a game. If we make it to the Super Bowl, they're going to look at Santonio like this guy was a big help.”

While his Jets' teammates may appreciate his selfless attitude, the fantasy owner in you won't (unless your opponent has Holmes).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is no wide receiver in the NFL with a greater combination of size, speed and athleticism than Detroit's Calvin Johnson.

Period.

And I still believe it's only a matter of time before MegaTron becomes the best receiver in football for an extended period even though I believe Houston's Andre Johnson is the best receiver in the league currently.

Johnson made huge strides from his rookie season (48-756-4) to his sophomore campaign (78-1331-12), but he struggled to stay healthy (and had a down season) in 2009. He only missed two games, but for many of the others, Johnson did not appear to be his same explosive self and regressed statistically (67-984-5).

As he prepares to head into the 2010 season with a clean bill of health (knock on wood), he's gushing about the outlook for Detroit's offense and the extra weapons within it that should help alleviate some of the burden from him.

"Oh, man," Johnson said, per Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press, "we're bigger, we're faster. We're going to be able to spread the ball around."

In addition, he's been working with second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford, last year's top overall pick, four times per week to develop their chemistry and rapport.

Although he's fifth in my pre-NFL Draft ranking of wide receivers for fantasy football, I will move Johnson up to third in my rankings update to be released on Monday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In essence, it's a good problem to have.

As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News points out, all three of the Cowboys' running backs (Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice) could make the argument that they deserve more carries than what they have received. In addition, that's unlikely to happen while all three are on the same roster and (knock on wood) healthy.

While there may be talk about Jones taking over the starting spot, he is instead focusing on those things that he can control as he says his "job is to get better and make my team better, prepare myself for this upcoming season."

Over the final four games of the regular season, both Barber and Jones had double-digit carries in every game. During that span, Barber finished with 263 yards on 62 carries versus 258 yards on 49 carries for Jones.

In the post-season, Jones had 30 carries for 217 yards. Barber had only 11 carries for 18 yards.

"There's great competition between us," Jones said. "We make each other better by going out there and competing during practice, during this off-season, a lot of competition as far as running and lifting and everything like that.

"Like I always say, 11 guys on one team make the play happen. You can't do it by yourself. We're a team and that's how we play. If I don't get as many touches as I think I should have and we win the game, that's how it's supposed to be."

My first ranking (April 19th) of fantasy running backs, which excluding rookies, put Barber at 25 and Jones at 26. When I release my updated rankings on Monday, I will move Jones ahead of Barber by a couple of spots.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While the Jets may be the NY-area team garnering the most (positive) attention these days, one player from the other NY-area team says that the Giants will never be the, well, other team.

Per George Willis of the New York Post, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs complimented Jets coach Rex Ryan by saying, "That's the kind of coach a lot of people want to play for a coach that goes out there and puts it on the line."

But Jacobs, who has never shied away from speaking his mind, also asserts that the Jets will always be second fiddle to the Giants in New York.

"This city is always going to be blue," Jacobs vowed. "The Jets had a good year last year and they're a good football team this year. But this is a new season and we're going to bounce back."

Perhaps Jacobs should focus all of his attention on regaining the form that helped to power the Giants to the league's best rushing attack in 2008.

In 2009, the Giants rushed for 114.8 yards per game (tied for 17th in the NFL) and 14 touchdowns (tied for 15th). That compares to 157.4 ypg and 19 touchdowns in 2008.

Jacobs, the Giants' fourth-round pick in 2005, ranked 21st in the NFL in rushing yards (835) and rushed for five touchdowns. Although he posted a career-high in rushing attempts (224), it was the first time in the past three seasons that he finished with less than 1,000 yards.

With an average draft position of 62 (28th RB), according to MockDraftCentral.com, it's hard for me to imagine a guy with the speed and size of Jacobs not bouncing back in a big way and becoming a huge fantasy value in 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While Bears defensive end Julius Peppers is the league's highest-paid defensive player, coach Lovie Smith says that Peppers is "going to earn every dime,'' per Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times.

''We've seen a lot of good things from [Peppers],'' Smith said. ''He's a special athlete. He'll make a lot of plays for us. It just seems like the entire group looks a little bit better with him in it.''

In addition to being a gifted athlete, Smith complimented Peppers on his work ethic as well.

''Great work habits,'' Smith said. ''No complaints. I shouldn't even say complaints. We've been more than thrilled with everything he has done. Perception vs. reality is two different things. My perception of Julius coming in is he was a great guy from what I'd heard, and that's what I've seen. I've seen a hard worker that's really moving into a leadership role fairly quick.''

Peppers had 10.5 of the Panthers 31 sacks last year and he has 25 sacks over the past two seasons. But three seasons ago, he finished with only 2.5 sacks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre had ankle surgery Friday morning, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

After appearing in the NFC Championship Game and posting a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 33:7 last year, it seemed to be a formality that Favre would return for another season.

The one thing that (potentially) stood in the way was the need for ankle surgery.

"I've had surgery on this ankle twice before, and I've played with the pain before," Favre wrote [on his website], via Rick Alonzo of the Pioneer Press. "The hits I took throughout the 2009 season, including the Saints game, just added to the ankle pain and likely caused some bone spurs."

The surgery is expected to keep Favre out for four-to-six weeks, which means he could (at least, physically) return in time for training camp.

Favre set career bests in QB rating (107.2), completion percentage (68.4%) and interceptions (seven) in 2009. In addition, he threw for more than 4,202 yards only twice before in his career and the last time he threw for 33 (or more) touchdowns was 1997.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In addition to safety Bob Sanders and kicker Adam Vinatieri, Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is optimistic about being nearly 100 percent after a season cut short by injury.

Gonzalez, who entered last season as the team's No. 2 receiver and as a fantasy football breakout candidate, suffered what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury in week 1 and finished with no receptions on the year.

"I don't know if I'll be 100 percent ever again with my knee, (but) it's pretty darned close," Gonzalez said, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star. "My speed's back. My route running feels like it's there."

In addition to feeling like he's back to normal, Gonzalez is happy about the opportunity to compete as the No. 2 wideout on the depth chart.

"I've been told I'm going to have an opportunity to compete for my job again," Gonzalez said. "That's all I want, an opportunity."

Whether he wins it back or not is the question.

In his place, receivers Pierre Garcon and rookie Austin Collie stepped up last year.

Garcon finished with 47 receptions for 765 yards and four touchdowns while Collie finished with 60 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. So, in other words, Garcon and Collie posted better numbers than Gonzalez (57-664-4) did as the team's third receiver in 2008.

Whichever receiver emerges as the team's No. 2 receiver, he will be the third option in the pass offense behind receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark.

Here are the top four receivers, based on average draft positions (ADPs) from MockDraftCentral.com: Reggie Wayne (ADP: 22 - 6th WR), Pierre Garcon (ADP: 58 - 21st WR), Austin Collie (ADP: 106 - 37th WR) and Anthony Gonzalez (ADP: 166 - 60th WR).

In my pre-NFL Draft ranking of fantasy receivers, Wayne ranked sixth, Garcon ranked 28th and Collie ranked 42nd. Gonzalez was outside of my top 50. That said, I think Gonzalez is a solid value at 166 overall and he's likely to land on many of my teams if he's still going off the board somewhere near that ADP.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everyone has their price. And apparently so does Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas.

Jets newcomer Jason Taylor, who has worn No. 95 at OTAs to honor ex-teammate Tim Bowens, is associated with the No. 99.

In fact, his official website is JasonTaylor99.com.

“BT has 99,” Taylor said, per Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News. “Regardless of what guys do around the league in (terms of) buying numbers, I have too much respect for BT. He has been around a long time.”

But Thomas might be willing to part with the number and teammate Shaun Ellis appears to be his agent as Ellis suggested a starting price of $200,000 for what was once "Gastineau's number."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss will miss the next 4-6 weeks including the team's mini-camp next month in order to have ankle surgery, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Boss missed a game in week five after initially suffering the ankle injury in week four and re-aggravating it later in the season.

Statistically, Boss had the best season of his young career: 42 receptions, 567 yards, five touchdowns.

Many had expected a breakout year for Boss, who was the Giants' fifth-round pick in 2007, but he ranked 19th among tight ends in receptions and 15th in receiving yards. His five touchdowns was one fewer than he had the previous year.

Since Boss will be healthy by camp, I would expect last year's numbers to be a worst-case scenario for him in 2010 and he certainly has the potential to exceed those numbers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Patriots receiver Wes Welker has said recently that he was "happy" about his progress in rehabbing his surgically-repaired knee.

A player often compared to Welker is Julian Edelman, who was the team's seventh-round pick in 2009. But Edelman thinks that comparison is unfair. And it is.

“I am not replacing Wes,’’ said Edelman, per Albert Breer of the Boston Globe. “I have been hearing it so much I let it go in one ear and out the other. I am just a guy trying to earn a job. It is unfair to Wes.’’

That said, Edelman posted strong numbers when Welker was out, as pointed out by Breer. In those four games, Edelman compiled stats of 27 receptions for 265 yards and two touchdowns. (Over a 16-game season, that's a pace of over 100 receptions and 1,000 yards.)

In 2009, Edelman finished with 37 receptions for 359 yards.

Edelman, who's a converted college quarterback, is not focusing on stepping up to fill a possible void by Welker at the beginning of the season. Instead he's continuing to concentrate on his transition to receiver.

“I’m still trying to become a receiver, I’m still trying to transition,’’ Edelman said. “It hasn’t come quite yet. [Experience as a quarterback] definitely has helped ... seeing coverages and watching film, it’s helped. I have a pretty decent knowledge of the game because of playing the position of quarterback. For me, it’s all about learning the receiver position, once again. The details of how to get open and how to read coverages, that’s what I’ve been focusing on.’’

There's no doubt that Edelman could have a really good year if Welker misses considerable time. Even if Welker doesn't miss much (or any) time, Edelman should have a solid season.

But I think there is a little too much fantasy love for Edelman heading into his second year.

In fantasy football drafts, MockDraftCentral.com shows an average draft position (ADP) for Edelman of 104th overall (36th WR). As an example, I would rather have a player like Baltimore's Derrick Mason (120th - 42nd WR) and Welker (171st - 63rd WR).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The problem of being so good, I suppose, is that you can outperform your already-once-restructured contract. That is what happened with Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who was unhappy with his current contract and skipped the first couple days of the team's voluntary workouts.

As Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle argues, Johnson did the right thing. With the majority of NFL contracts non-guaranteed (unlike in other major sports), the Texans could cut Johnson at any time and not be (financially) on the hook.

Of course, they are not going to release him now when he is arguably the best receiver in the league. But considering the virtually unilateral aspect of the contracts, Solomon asks the question: why not seek a raise when you've outperformed your deal?

That said, Johnson joined the Texans for the team's organized team's activities (OTAs) today.

"Like I said before, I plan on being a Texan ‘til the day I retire, and my feelings haven't changed," Johnson said (via the team's website). "I didn't feel right being at home. I never miss OTAs and I've always been here, so I came in."

Johnson, who has led the NFL in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, has five years remaining on his contract.

"I don't really think you can really win against an organization. When you're under contract, they can hold you to that, and it's up to them to re-do it or give you an extension or whatever they want to do. They really don't have to do anything. They can sit there and hold me to that contract, and if you choose to sit out and take fines, that's what happens. But I'm past that. I'm over that. I'm here working and I'm going to continue to work and hopefully we can achieve our goal of getting to the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Miami Dolphins oft-injured running back Ronnie Brown, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in 2009, will be ready for the start of the season, according to the Miami Herald.

"I've been running for a while, it's good to get out here and gain some confidence,'' Brown said. "With injuries, the biggest part is the mental process. You come back and try not to think about it and limit yourself in that sense.''

As talented and productive as Brown is when he is healthy, he will not be on any of fantasy teams in 2010.

While Brown has never missed a week one game in his career, I simply do not trust that Brown will be on the field in week 16 when I am competing for my fantasy championship.

(For the record, Brown has played in two of his five possible week 16 games.)

That said, I am more bullish on Ricky Williams (24th on my list of fantasy RBs), who will again be a stud without Brown. But Williams had 751 yards from scrimmage and seven combined touchdowns in the nine games that Brown played.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Opposing defenses knew what was coming, which meant they could fearlessly stack eight men in the box. And his back bothered him enough to cause him to miss a game and most practices down the stretch.

That combination should keep any running back from having a solid season. However, Rams running back Steven Jackson managed to finish second in NFL rushing (1,416 yards) behind Tennessee's Chris Johnson.

While the Rams drafted Sam Bradford with the first overall pick in this year's NFL Draft to become their franchise quarterback, Jackson will remain the focal point of the Rams' offense. So, Jackson should expect to see his fair share of eight-man fronts in 2010.

But a month after off-season back surgery (April 15th), Jackson says he will be ready for training camp at the end of July, per Bill Coats of St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In addition, Jackson plans to continue to be a physical runner.

"Whenever my time comes for me to suit up, I'll be ready," Jackson said. "I play with reckless abandonment. I'm going to play football the only way I know how. I wouldn't be doing myself justice if I tried to alter my game. I feel like what you get is what you get when you see me. I don't need to come in and feel timid about anything."

In my fantasy rankings, I had Jackson as the sixth-best fantasy running back for 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Detroit Lions have a running back duo -- Kevin Smith and rookie Jahvid Best -- that will compete for carries in 2010.

As typically is the case, however, competitors for playing time on the field tend to be supportive of each other off it.

According to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, Smith is playing the part of mentor well and easing the worries of the first-round rookie (see full draft results).

"He made it real comfortable for me," Best said of Smith. "He's probably like my big brother right now. He's just giving me pointers and he's staying on me so I know what I'm doing when I'm out there."

That said, Smith, who is recovering from off-season knee surgery, isn't willing to concede anything yet.

"I'm always excited to compete," Smith said [of drafting Best], per Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News. "I thought it was a good pick. They are bringing in a guy who could potentially make plays. So when he gets out here, we'll compete at practice, but when we line up on Sundays, everybody needs each other and that's the goal."

As it becomes less common for NFL teams to have workhorse running backs, it's become increasingly important to have multiple backs that can make plays.

In 2010, Best and Smith have average draft positions (ADPs) of 63rd (28th RB) and 142nd (46th), respectively, according to Mock Draft Central.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jets converted (linebacker to) defensive end Vernon Gholston has been a huge disappointment so far in his two-year career.

Gholston, who was the sixth-overall pick in 2008, has 30 tackles and no sacks in 29 career games.

"It's an understandable assessment," Gholston told Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News Tuesday. "That's something I do accept. Moving forward, I plan to change it....People expect a guy to come in and have the immediate impact and get all the sacks. That's mainly what people attribute to me - not getting sacks."

With a restructured contract that will pay him $6.5 million in total compensation for the 2009 season, this will likely be the make-or-break season for Gholston. As Mehta points out, the Jets are more likely to release Gholston next off-season if he doesn't perform due to the way his contract was restructured.

In other words, he needs to make some big strides in order to see the $2.5 million roster bonus due in March 2011.

Otherwise, he'll be able rush JaMarcus Russell in the Mobile (AL) Flag Football League.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Miami's Brandon Marshall, who is the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver, had surgery and he'll be out until training camp.

So, what kind of surgery did Marshall have?

He's not telling. Neither is coach Tony Sparano, who isn't concerned about it.

"We don't play a game today," Sparano said, via the Associated Press. "We play a game down the road somewhere. ... No disappointment at all. He's been here for eight weeks now, throwing and catching and doing all the things necessary. I mean, he was throwing and catching the day that the procedure was done. So, not real concerned about it."

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, however, Marshall had "cleanup procedure" on his hip two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Marshall says that, "... in my past, I learned that, not to worry myself and hold my head down when I can't control it. I'm just going to do the best I can with the mental reps and prepare myself that way."

To which "past" is he referring?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday the New England Patriots released cornerback Shawn Springs.

Springs, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in January, believes his release was due the team's desire to evaluate the younger players on the squad and not his knee.

“It’s hard to evaluate and give young guys a shot if you’ve got me,’’ Springs said, per the Boston Globe.

According to Ian Rappaport of the Boston Herald, however, Springs failed a physical before being released.

It's possible that the Patriots will re-sign him. A few of the teams rumored to be interested in Springs include the Eagles, Ravens and Seahawks (who originally drafted Springs with the third overall pick in 1997).

However, the Philadelphia Daily News claim that the Eagles are not interested.

In 2009, Springs had 40 tackles and one interception in 12 games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams rookie receiver Mardy Gilyard was robbed at gunpoint at a gas station near the University of Cincinnati on Monday night.

Although the perpetrators escaped with roughly $300 of cash and $1,000 of jewelry, it's fortunate that Gilyard wasn't physically harmed.

“I’m the same cat,” Gilyard told Aaron Wilson of NationalFootballPost.com. “I’m not shook up or nothing like that, just mad. I’m just glad I get to go to training camp. I had that thing pointed at my head. I could have been paralyzed or brain dead or killed. I’m truly blessed to still be here talking to you."

Soon Gilyard, who was sixth in fantasy rankings for rookie receivers, will be able to join the Rams and find comfort in the relative safety of playing pro football over being college student.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After the Dallas Cowboys drafted Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant in the first round, receiver Roy Williams said, "ain't no such thing as me sitting on the bench."

Williams, who was acquired for more than a first-round pick in 2008, has been a disappointment since his arrival in Big D. While he has a 1,310-yard season (2006) on his resume, he only has 794 receiving yards in his 25 games since joining the Cowboys.

Like a diva receiver, he had previously pointed the finger at how quarterback Tony Romo threw the ball "correctly" to the other receivers on the team.

But, according to Williams, the on-field chemistry with Romo has changed.

"... this year, we’re connecting like Montana and Rice," Williams said yesterday, per the Dallas Morning News. "It’s night and day from last year so I know we’re expecting big things for both of us."

In the team's first day of organized team activities (OTAs), Williams made a one-handed grab that prompted owner Jerry Jones to ask, “Did y’all get that on film?”

Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins said of Williams yesterday, "Roy came out on fire today. That’s the best I’ve seen Roy since he got here. He looked like a No. 1 receiver."

Jenkins also spoke highly of Bryant, saying the rookie will someday be a "big-time receiver."

I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with Williams for now.

With the weapons in the Cowboys' offense, there may be too few targets for the taste of all the pass-catchers.

But one thing we know, the Cowboys, who invested a lot in Williams, want him to be an elite receiver. And he has been an elite receiver in the past even if it was only for one season. So, maybe the addition of a future "big-time receiver" will be what motivates him enough to live up to his potential.

And maybe, just maybe, Williams will be a surprise in 2010. And this time a pleasant one.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson was a no-show when the team began their organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday.

Johnson, who has led the NFL in receiving yards the past two seasons, is unhappy with his eight-year contract that he signed in 2007. With five years left on his contract, Johnson is due to earn $5.8 million in 2010.

“I’m not real worried because we re-did him with two years left on his original deal, and that was three years ago,” general manager Rick Smith said, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “Over the first three years of that deal, I think if you even ask him, he’s been well-compensated.”

On the other hand, NFL Network analyst Solomon Wilcots argues that Johnson is underpaid if you compare his salary (and guaranteed money) to that of the other top receivers in the league.

“To be fair to Andre Johnson, if you compare his production and his salary next to the top receivers in the league, you see his production is right up there with Fitzgerald and everyone else,” Wilcots said. “So his salary should be, too. He’s clearly underpaid. I believe the Texans would not disagree with that, but I do believe they would say, ‘This is the deal he negotiated.’ Let’s face it: His prime years are the next three seasons.“

And as ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted (via Pro Football Talk), "Andre Johnson negotiated his last deal by himself, using an uncle as an advisor. Saved himself three percent and cost himself 100 percent."

Johnson, who is the team's first-round pick in 2003, has posted back-to-back 100-reception, 1,500-yard seasons.

Regardless of whether the Texans and Johnson agree to rework the deal again, Johnson should be the top receiver drafted in fantasy football leagues and the only one to be selected in the first round in ten-team leagues.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dallas Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton won't attend the beginning of the team's (voluntary) organized team activities today, per Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News.

"In no way is Patrick sending a message to the Cowboys," said [Crayton's agent Fred] Lyles. "He will fulfill any and all obligations of his contract."

Crayton, who is due to earn $2 million this season, has been granted permission to pursue a trade.

With rookie Dez Bryant ahead of Crayton (and maybe ahead of Roy Williams at some point this season), Crayton would be an expensive option for a fourth receiver (and the fifth option in the passing game counting tight end Jason Witten).

From a fantasy perspective, Crayton's value (as a Cowboy) is fairly limited.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I ranked rookie running backs for fantasy football, Browns running back Montario Hardesty was in my top five.

And, so far, Hardesty is impressing the guy who will decide on how much playing time he will receive.

“Some guys couldn’t get the answers,” [Browns coach Eric] Mangini said [of randomly asking rookies questions], per the Canton Repository (via the National Football Post). “Whenever they couldn’t get an answer, (Hardesty) had his hand in the air. He knew the answer. And it was on a range of different things. You could tell he was constantly paying attention, constantly taking notes.”

In addition, Mangini said “some guys run big” in reference to Hardesty running bigger than he actually is.

Meanwhile, Jerome Harrison is not likely to show up on Monday when the team begins their organized team activities, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

However, it sounds like he might want to reconsider.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In 2008, Houston Texans running back Steve Slaton ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing with 1,282 yards. And it was Slaton -- not Chicago's Matt Forte or Tennessee's Chris Johnson -- that led all rookies in rushing.

Things didn't go as smoothly for Slaton in 2009 as he was benched due to his seven fumbles (five lost) and he missed five games due to injury.

While he rushed for only 437 yards and three touchdowns last year, Slaton's numbers as a receiver were actually better in 2009 (44-417-4) than in 2008 (50-377-1).

And after having off-season neck surgery, Slaton said that "he's 100 percent and ready to go," per the Twitter account of John McClain (of the Houston Chronicle and Sports Radio 610) via Pro Football Talk.

Even if Slaton is fully healthy, rookie running back Ben Tate, for whom the Texans traded up to draft in the second round, and Arian Foster, who rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the Texans' final two games, are standing in Slaton's way from getting the number of touches he had in 2008.

But when Slaton put up big numbers in 2008, it was unexpected. Perhaps he surprises everyone in 2010 with expectations low.

Based on fantasy football drafts so far, MockDraftCentral.com shows an average draft position (ADP) for Slaton as 73rd overall (31st RB). That compares to ADPs of 118 (43rd) and 159 (49th) for Tate and Foster, respectively.

As we move closer to the start of the season, I would expect the ADPs for Tate and Slaton to converge and I wouldn't be surprised if Tate is drafted ahead of Slaton. If that doesn't happen, I would clearly favor the relative value of drafting Tate four rounds later than Slaton.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In his rookie season, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had his share of ups and (mostly) downs.

Stafford, the top overall draft pick in 2009, had one of the most remarkable performances of the season by any player when he led the Lions to a comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns. But that was one of only two victories the Lions had, he struggled to stay healthy last year and he threw 20 interceptions (in only ten games).

That said, Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press points out three things about a couple of spectacular throws made by Stafford at the team's Thursday workout: (1) he's healthy again, (2) he has support and (3) he has talent.

"I feel a lot better," Stafford said. "My shoulder feels good. My knee's feeling a lot better. As far as throwing the ball, I can step into it and let it go as good as I ever have."

With defenses focused on stopping Calvin Johnson, it should create opportunities for newcomer Nate Burleson, who is a big upgrade over last year's secondary receiver options (Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt).

"You get to pump to [Calvin Johnson], look at him for a little bit," Stafford said [of a throw he made at practice]. "All the coverage shifted to him, and Nate was streaking down the middle. I just threw him the ball. He did the rest."

While the Lions should be better than they have been over the past couple of seasons, they are still another year away and they will often trail their opponents. That means Stafford should get an opportunity to air it out often even though the Lions drafted Jahvid Best in the first round.

Last year, Stafford averaged 226.7 yards (and 37.7 pass attempts) per game. At that pace, Stafford would have thrown for 3,627 yards (and 603 pass attempts) over a 16-game season. (Houston's Matt Schaub led the NFL in pass attempts with 583.)

In my initial fantasy football quarterback rankings (April 5th) for 2010, Stafford ranked 22nd on the list. When I update my rankings in the next couple of days, Stafford will move up a few spots.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said this week that the franchise has promised to rework his deal before the start of the season. But it's the Jets' policy to not discuss contract negotiations.

Yesterday, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum gave his opinion on the situation when speaking to ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd.

"Our expectation is he'll retire a Jet many years from now," Tannenbaum said, per the New York Post.

Revis, who is only 24 years old, is the league's top cornerback and despite owning the contract rights through the 2012 season, it makes sense for the Jets to lock up him in a long-term deal.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback David Garrard has been steady and, to a degree, underrated.

In each of the past two seasons, Garrard has passed for 3,500+ yards and rushed for 300+ yards. In fact, his 7,862 combined passing and rushing yards during that span ranks ninth in the NFL ahead of quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger (7,812), Donovan McNabb (7,756) and Brett Favre (7,724).

And in an interview with Vic Ketchman of jaguars.com, Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter called quarterback David Garrard 'The Man.'

“We’ve got to play better around Dave (Garrard),” Koetter said. “If you look at the elite passing teams in the NFL, the quarterback and the receivers are thinking one step ahead of the defense. We’ve been really trying to eliminate the gray. If it’s this, we’re doing this. For Dave, he’s clearly ‘The Man.’ He’s got hungry receivers. Dave’s been doing a great job in quarterback school and in mini-camp of communicating. With that said, our bread and butter is 32. We all know that.”

Of course, 32 is running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who ranks third behind Tennessee's Chris Johnson and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson on my fantasy football RB rankings for 2010.

But Koetter implied that there is a possiblity that back-up quarterback Luke McCown could push Garrard for the starter job at some point in 2010.

“Even though Luke was our number two last year, he didn’t take many reps. We haven’t had much chance to see him operate in our system. Mini-camp was his first chance to get equal reps. This is a time for Luke to show he can compete with Dave. He’s athletic, he’s sharp. Can he push Dave when they’re hitting you for real? We like what we see out of Luke in the meeting room and what we saw of him in mini-camp,” Koetter said.

McCown, who was the Browns' fourth-round pick in 2004, has thrown for 1,619 yards, nine touchdowns and ten interceptions in his career.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the biggest off-season story lines is whether or not Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson will hold out of training camp.

This week, NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp said, “No doubt about it — he’s prepared. He’s prepared to take this through training camp.”

That said, Johnson isn't letting his frustration about his contract and his lack of attendance at team activities and workouts to interfere with his preparation for the 2010 season, according to teammate Nate Washington.

"I asked him if he put on a little weight — no gut, no, no — I'm talking thicker, stronger looking," Washington said, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. "He assured me, 'Big bro, I am working.' And I said you don't have to tell me that, I know. He looks great, really.''

Last year, Johnson, who is due to earn only $560,000 in 2010, became only the sixth player in league history to top the 2,000-yard mark. Since he signed a five-year contract (worth $12 million) as a rookie in 2008, Johnson is under contract through the 2012 season.

If Johnson does hold out of training camp, it would seem unlikely that he extends the holdout into the regular season.

But it seems possible that the bitterness and hostility toward an inability to get a new deal could increase as it gets closer to the start of the season. And perhaps he allows those sentiments to affect his production when he is on the field.

Re-worked contract or not, holdout or not, it will be virtually impossible for Johnson to repeat his production from 2009.

But at least for now, Johnson is on top of my fantasy football rankings for 2010. If he holds out of training camp, I will adjust him down a spot or two.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In fantasy football, there is no need to draft a tight end with a high draft choice even though the elite guys -- Dallas Clark, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, etc. -- will post numbers that are off the charts compared to what we could expect from a tight end in the past.

Patience is a virtue. In other words,there are plenty of values that you can find later in the draft.

Although there are some rookies in this draft class that have value on a long-term, keeper basis, none should be drafted as your starting tight end if you're in a shallow league.

Here are the top five rookie fantasy tight ends for 2010:

1. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals: Gresham, who missed the 2009 season at Oklahoma, was the only tight end drafted in the first round of this year's draft. Gresham was a touchdown-scoring machine for the Sooners as he scored a combined 25 touchdowns in his sophomore and junior seasons. Considering he had 103 receptions over those two seasons, he scored on more than 24 percent of his receptions. His touches, however, might be limited due to the off-season addition of receivers Antonio Bryant, Matt Jones, rookies Jordan Shipley and Dezmon Briscoe.

2. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: Gronkowski, who was the second TE drafted, is more of a 1(a) than a 2 on our list. Like Gresham, Gronkowski missed the 2009 season at Arizona, but he is a big, athletic tight end. Even though he missed three games in 2008 as well, he scored ten touchdowns as a sophomore. He fills a big offensive need for the Patriots, who lost Ben Watson and Chris Baker and may be without Wes Welker to start the season as he rehabs his ACL.

3. Ed Dickson, Ravens: Dickson, who was the first of two tight ends drafted by the Ravens, isn't the world's greatest (or even a good) blocker, but he has the athleticism, downfield speed and receiving skills to produce solid numbers if he gets enough targets. The Ravens, who are a run-first team, still have Todd Heap in front of Dickson and have added Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth to the receiving corps in the off-season.

4. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots: Hernandez had 68 receptions for 850 yards and five touchdowns in his junior season with the Florida Gators and is an athletic, pass-catching tight end. While tight end was a need for the Patriots, they also drafted Gronkowski ahead of him.

5. Dennis Pitta, Ravens: Like the Patriots, the Ravens drafted two tight ends in the first four rounds of this year's draft. As a 24-year-old rookie, Pitta is both a good blocker and a good receiver. At BYU, Pitta finished he collegiate career with 221 receptions for 2,901 yards and 21 touchdowns.

See our other rookie rankings for fantasy football: Top 5 QBs | Top 10 RBs | Top 10 WRs

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many saw it coming even if it took longer than most had expected.

In 2009, Vernon Davis had a breakout campaign (78-965-13). But he's in no hurry to get a contract extension done.

"I'll take my time," Davis said, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. "I mean, I would love to get it done before the season starts, but like I said, that's not my deal and that's not something that I need to be worrying about right now. All I'm worrying about is getting to where I want to go, staying at the top of my game and breaking more records. That's where my priorities are at the moment."

When asked about being the team's next priority after locking up linebacker Patrick Willis, Davis said he's not concerned about that.

"It really don't matter. It's not my concern," said Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. "It's up to them. It's all on them, what they want to do. I'm here. I'm still a 49er. I'm ready for the season. I'm focused on things I need to be focused on and ready to get better."

His freakish athletic ability for his size make him nearly impossible to cover and Davis should be one of the top three tight ends drafted along with Dallas Clark (Indianapolis) and Antonio Gates (San Diego) in fantasy football drafts.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Revis Island is about to become more expensive.

According to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (via Kevin Armstrong of the NY Daily News), the Jets and Revis are in talks to rework his deal. Revis, who is due to earn $1 million in 2010, says that the Jets have promised that they would get a deal done by the start of the season.

“I’m not worried. I’m okay. My life is good,” Revis said, per Manish Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger. “This is something we have to go through. We’ll see and wait it out or whatever. We can’t control some things. You just got to go with the punches until everything gets cleared up.”

But it could get interesting if things are not worked out by the start of training camp (August 1st).

"That's their word. That's what they said," said Revis, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York. "If you go back on your word, it's a problem."

The Jets have options on Revis' contract for the 2011 and 2012 seasons for $20 million, but since they've made a promise to Revis, they've backed themselves into a corner and need to come through with a new deal for their stud cornerback.

In my opinion, Revis is the top "shutdown" corner in the league. And, yes, Randy Moss, I called him a "shutdown corner."

Last year, Revis had six interceptions, which was a career high. More importantly, he limited the league's elite receivers to pedestrian numbers.

Here are some examples (receptions-yards): Houston's Andre Johnson (4-35), New England's Randy Moss (4-24 and 5-34 yards in their two matchups), Carolina's Steve Smith (1-5), New Orleans' Marques Colston (2-33) and Atlanta's Roddy White (4-33).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Free-agent running back Brian Westbrook is visiting with the Washington Redskins on Wednesday, per Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

If Westbrook ends up in Washington, he would be reunited with quarterback Donovan McNabb, become a teammate of his brother Byron for the first time since youth football and join an already crowded backfield.

"We do have three great backs on the team right now," said Byron Westbrook. "With my brother, it would be adding another dimension from a pass-catching standpoint and a great third-down running back. And also a great first- and second-down running back as well."

Without Westbrook, I could see the trio of Clinton Portis, Willie Parker and Larry Johnson upset with however the touches end up getting allocated in 2010. Make the trio a quartet and it has the potential to become even more volatile.

Previously, Westbrook had visited with the St. Louis Rams, who made him an offer after he passed a physical.

With the Rams having few weapons beyond Steven Jackson, adding the versatile-yet-aging Westbrook would make sense to take some of the load off of Jackson's shoulders.

In Washington's crowded backfield, however, Westbrook, who would have little fantasy value in St. Louis, would further reduce the little-to-no fantasy value for the running backs already in the nation's capital.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who had surgery on his torn ACL on February 3rd, is "happy" about the progress of his rehab and is able to jog again, per Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman.

Of course, the big question is, when will Welker be able to return? And when he does, how close will he be to the pre-injury Welker?

"It’s so early right now, it’s hard to put any sort of timetable on it,” Welker said. "My main deal is just working hard and putting myself in the best position possible to be ready whenever I’m ready. No telling when that’s going to be or how long it’s going to take, but all I can do is just work hard.”

It makes sense that Welker doesn't pinpoint a timetable.

And it certainly makes sense to monitor his progress throughout the off-season.

That said, MockDraftCentral.com shows that Welker is the 62nd (on average) wide receiver off draft boards, which is two spots after free-agent Laveranues Coles.

Many fantasy owners will simply avoid Welker at all costs due to the injury. But even if he's not ready for the season opener on September 12th, I would be very surprised if Welker doesn't return at some point during the season.

Depending on the number of games he misses, Welker may not post a fourth consecutive season of 100+ receptions. On a per-game basis, however, he could be a huge bargain for your fantasy team if he slips anywhere close to his ADP of 181 (per Mock Draft Central).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not surprisingly, Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe isn't going to sign his $1.226 million tender as a restricted free agent, per Steve Wyche of NFL.com.

If the Rams don't sign Atogwe to a long-term deal (or offer him 110 percent of his 2009 salary) by June 1st, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Based on the salary he earned last season as the team's designated franchise player, Atogwe would receive $6,976,000 if the Rams offer him 110 percent of his salary.

A couple of weeks ago, the Rams traded for 26-year-old safety Kevin Payne, who has started 22 games for the Chicago Bears in the past three seasons.

Atogwe, who was the Rams' third-round pick in 2005, spent the last four games on injured reserve (IR) due to a shoulder injury.

In his five-year NFL career, he has intercepted 19 passes and forced 14 fumbles.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem had surgery to repair cartilage on his toe, according to Brian Allee-Walsh of NewOrleans.com.

Although Meachem suffered the injury last year, it had been aggravating him this off-season. The surgery will cause Meachem to miss the rest of the off-season workouts until the start of training camp.

“It’s going to set him back. Our goal is to get him back in time for the start of training camp (July 29), the first week or so,’’ coach Sean Payton said.

Meachem, the team's first-round pick in 2007, had a breakout year as he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009.

That said, it's difficult to trust any Saints' receiver other than Marques Colston, who led the Saints in targets (106) and ranked 26th in the NFL. Devery Henderson and Meachem ranked 54th and 76th, respectively, in targets.

In my latest fantasy football rankings, which will be updated over the next few days, Meachem was #36 on my wide receiver list. Colston was 11th on the list and Henderson was outside of my top 50.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is going to compete against two of his players in a weight-loss competition dubbed "The Biggest Winner," according to the team's website.

The weight-loss period runs from today through July 30th, two days before the start of training camp, and will pit Ryan against defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and offensive tackle Damien Woody.

"The guys are going to have fun with it," Ryan said. "There's an offensive player, a defensive player and a 47-year-old coach. The handicappers, I don't know how they're going to view this."

Currently, Ryan weighs 311 pounds while Jenkins and Woody are listed at 360 and 330 pounds, respectively. Whichever contestant loses the most weight will win a prize to donate to charity.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The learning curve for wide receivers (and all players, for that matter) has shortened in the NFL. Perhaps it's due to all of the money rookies earn and the need for them to produce early. Or maybe it's due to the nearly year-round off-season workouts and mini-camps.

In either case, many fantasy owners no longer need to wait for the third season to witness a "breakout year" for a wide receiver.

Here are my top ten rookie wide receivers for 2010:

1. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos: Due to his size, athletic ability and alma mater, the Georgia Tech product has been sometimes compared to Detroit's Calvin Johnson. With the Broncos trading Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, there will be plenty of opportunities for Thomas to make an impact.

2. Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Bryant, who was viewed as the most talented receiver in the draft, was a draft-day bargain as the 24th overall pick for the Cowboys. From a fantasy perspective, the major difference between Bryant and the other receivers at the top of this list is the competition for targets. The Cowboys already have one of the league's top receivers (Miles Austin), one of the league's top tight ends (Jason Witten) and a guy that should be producing a lot more than he already does (Roy Williams), which likely means less targets for Bryant than his talent warrants.

3. Arrelious Benn, Buccaneers: Heading into the NFL Draft, the Buccaneers had one of the league's worst receiving corps. Arguably they still do. But Benn, who was the 39th overall draft pick, should get an opportunity to play right away and often. In fact, the Bucs traded up a few spots to nab Benn. One bit of caution is Benn's drop in production last year -- 38 receptions for 490 yards and two touchdowns -- at Illinois as a junior.

4. Golden Tate, Seahawks: As a former running back, Tate is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Although he's under six-feet, Tate was highly productive at Notre Dame. Over the past two seasons, Tate caught 151 passes for 2,576 yards and 25 touchdowns. Last season, he finished with at least seven receptions and 113 yards in nine of his 12 games.

5. Mike Williams, Buccaneers: It wasn't talent that caused Williams to last until the 101st overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Despite his off-the-field concerns, Williams finds himself in a similar boat as fellow rookie Benn. The team lacks talent at the position and Williams will get a chance to make a big impact as a rookie. In fact, former scout Daniel Jeremiah tweeted that Williams is a "sleeper rookie of the year candidate."

6. Mardy Gilyard, Rams: The good news and bad news for Gilyard's fantasy stock is that he plays for the Rams. Even if he is third on the team's depth chart at receiver behind Donnie Avery and Laurent Robinson, Gilyard should see plenty of action on Sundays. That said, there is a good chance that quarterback Sam Bradford, the top overall pick, won't see the field until mid-season and, when he does, he's likely to experience the ups and downs typical of a rookie quarterback.

7. Brandon LaFell, Panthers: With a top-flight running game, Steve Smith drawing double teams and the lack of development from the team's other receivers, there is a reasonable chance that LaFell opens the season as the team's No. 2 receiver and to become the recipient of a fair amount of targets. That said, LaFell, who is a big target (6-foot-2, 211 pounds), saw his production decline in his senior season (57-792-11) from his junior campaign (63-929-8) at LSU.

8. Jordan Shipley, Bengals: Shipley was on the six-year plan (due to a few injuries) at Texas. Although he lacks top-end speed, Shipley is quick, runs routes well, has good hands and isn't afraid to go across the middle. He leaves college with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with double-digit touchdowns in each of his past two seasons.

9. Eric Decker, Broncos: Like his fellow rookie teammate (Demaryius Thomas), Decker is a big receiver (6-foot-3, 217 pounds). Although he missed the final five games of the season due to a foot injury, Decker had four 100-yard performances in his first five games last year. During that span, he caught 43 balls for 639 yards and five touchdowns.

10. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers: With Santonio Holmes traded to the Jets, Sanders should be the team's third receiver behind Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. In last year's offense, Wallace posted solid numbers in that spot. Sanders ran a 4.41 forty (tied for second-fastest for WRs) and had a 39.5 vertical jump (fifth among WRs) at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Check back tomorrow for my top five rookie tight ends for fantasy football. Or see my top five rookie quarterbacks and my top ten rookie running backs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Woody Paige of the Denver Post has an opinion about Denver Broncos starting quarterback Kyle Orton: trade him now.

As Paige points out, if coach Josh McDaniels had a ton of confidence in Orton, the Broncos would not have traded for Brady Quinn, a first-round pick by the Browns in 2007, or selected Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round this year. And Orton is set to become a free agent in 2011.

And Mike Klis, Paige's colleague at the Denver Post, writes, "Why should Orton stick around and be a clown in the Tim Tebow circus?"

In his one season as the Broncos' starting quarterback, Orton played well.

Orton, the Bears' fourth-round pick in 2005, threw for 3,802 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. And if you excluded two bad games -- week 9 versus Pittsburgh and week 17 versus Kansas City -- where he threw three interceptions in each game, his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 20-to-6 in the other 14 games.

Paige mentioned three possibilities for Orton: Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Buffalo.

I can see the Bills being interested in Orton, but neither Jacksonville nor Tampa Bay makes sense. Orton would not be a significant upgrade (if at all) over David Garrard, the Jaguars' incumbent starting quarterback, and the Bucs invested a first-round pick on Josh Freeman in 2009. In addition, they have talked up his development this off-season.

On the other hand, the Bills ranked 30th in the NFL in passing offense (174.3 yards per game) and have the trio of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi expects the team's receiving corps to take a big step forward in 2010, per Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

That makes one of us.

As Grossi points out, the quartet of Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey and Joshua Cribbs finished last season with a combined 80 receptions for 1,063 yards and six touchdowns.

In other words, 12 receivers had more receptions, 16 receivers had more yards and 20 receivers had more touchdowns than that group in 2009.

"[Robiskie's] primed for a good year. I'm primed for a breakout year. Stuckey's been working hard. Josh is still going to be the dynamic player that he is," Mohamed said.

To go along with that group of receivers, they will have a new quarterback throwing them the ball.

"You plug in a guy like Jake Delhomme ... he's a Super Bowl quarterback. I was a huge fan of his growing up in Charlotte. He's very capable. He brings in a lot of knowledge where he and [offensive coordinator Brian Daboll] and Mangini and Holmgren can bounce stuff off each other. He's going to tell us what he expects out of us. We're going to be able to learn from him and grow more."

Out of the group, Massaquoi, who led the Browns last year in receiving (34-624-3), has the most fantasy value. Although Massaquoi had two 100-yard games last year, he also had 11 games with 30 or less receiving yards.

Therefore, neither he nor any of his teammates made my rankings of the top 50 fantasy receivers for 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Broncos nose tackle Ronald Fields was arrested early this morning in Houston on misdemeanor gun charges, per Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post.

According to the Denver Post report, Fields was in a nightclub with a weapon prior to getting arrested.

Lucky for Fields, he was carrying the gun in a Houston -- and not New York City -- nightclub. Even luckier, he didn't shoot himself (or anyone else) in the leg.

While it's unclear whether or not the NFL will take any disciplinary action against Fields, one has to expect that Commissioner Roger Goodell will at least take a closer look at the situation.

Fields, who was the 49ers' fifth-round draft pick in 2005, started all 16 games for the Broncos in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The New Orleans Saints and guard Jahri Evans have agreed to a seven-year deal worth $56.7 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Evans, the Saints' fourth-round pick in 2006 from Bloomsburg (PA) University, will receive $19 million this year. His deal is the most lucrative ever given to a guard.

"We liked what we saw from him as a small-school prospect in the draft four years ago, and I can say that we've loved what we've seen from him on the NFL level as well," general manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement.

Last year, Evans was named to his first All-Pro team and made his first Pro Bowl.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Unless you're in a deep league, a keeper league or one that starts two quarterbacks, there aren't any rookie quarterbacks that will make a big fantasy football impact in 2010.

That's not the case for rookie running backs.

Here are my top ten rookie running backs in fantasy football for 2010:

1. Ryan Mathews, Chargers: Mathews, who ranked second in college football in rushing last season, has the combination of skills and projected number of touches to put him at the top of this list. Chargers coach Norv Turner projects Mathews to get around 250 carries. Only nine running backs had more than that amount in 2009.

2. C.J. Spiller, Bills: No other running back in the rookie class has more pure talent than Spiller. And on any given play, Spiller, who was the first running back drafted, could turn it into a highlight-reel play. He has elite speed, but he will share the workload with Fred Jackson, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year.

3. Ben Tate, Texans: While projecting workloads for the Texans' backfield is risky, Steve Slaton, who rushed for 1,282 yards as a rookie in 2008, is coming off surgery and his pre-surgery fumble-itis landed him in coach Gary Kubiak's doghouse. So, the job is Tate's for the taking if he can beat out Slaton, Arian Foster and Ryan Moats in camp and my bet is that the 58th-overall pick can.

4. Jahvid Best, Lions: The fantasy value of Best, who was drafted at the tail end of round one, is partly tied to the rehab of Kevin Smith, his backfield mate. Smith had a disappointing (and injury-shortened season) after a solid second half to his rookie season. At worst, Best will split carries with Smith. But Tom Kowalski of MLive.com writes that even with a healthy Smith, "Best likely will get the bulk of the workload."

5. Montario Hardesty, Browns: It says something when you break a rushing record set by Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown as Jerome Harrison in week 15 (286 yards). It also says something when the team drafts another back in the second round. Hardesty is a big back that projects to (at least) get the short yardage work. But considering Harrison had 106 carries in the final three games and 88 carries in his other ten games, it wouldn't surprise me to see Hardesty win the starting job in Cleveland.

6. Toby Gerhart, Vikings: Although he a second-round pick and Heisman finalist, Gerhart will back up the league's best all-around (and second-rated fantasy) running back. In addition, the Vikings have a potent pass offense led by Brett Favre. He is a physical runner, who could receive goalline carries. With the departure of Chester Taylor to Chicago, Gerhart will get touches and should be drafted by Peterson owners as a handcuff.

7. Dexter McCluster, Chiefs: With a similar skillset to Chargers RB Darren Sproles, McCluster does a lot of things well while lacking the size to be a durable, every-down back. Since most leagues don't reward return yardage and the Chiefs already have Jamal Charles and Thomas Jones on their roster, his fantasy impact will much more limited than his "real" impact. Also, McCluster will have more value in a point-per-reception (PPR) format.

8. Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers: Dwyer lasted much longer than projected in the NFL Draft. Backing up Rashard Mendenhall doesn't bode well for Dwyer's 2010 fantasy value, but it would be wise for Mendenhall owners to handcuff him with Dwyer.

9. Anthony Dixon, 49ers: Frank Gore must be happy as many mock drafts projected the Niners to draft Spiller, who went before San Francisco was on the clock. The Niners drafted two offensive linemen in round one (and Dixon in the sixth round). While Gore will get the bulk of work in the offense, Dixon is a big back (233 pounds) that was a four-year starter for Mississippi State.

10. Joe McKnight, Jets: Drafting McKnight, who was teammate of quarterback Mark Sanchez at USC, made Leon Washington, who's now in Seattle, expendable. With Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson ahead of McKnight on the depth chart and the acquisition of suspended (four games) receiver Santonio Holmes, McKnight's offensive touches may be limited.

This week, I will also release my rookie rankings for wide receivers and tight ends in fantasy football.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One thing that Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and Tennessee's Chris Johnson share in common is their big-play abilities.

Another is their performance doesn't match their salary as both players have outperformed their rookie deals signed in 2008.

And while both would like to get new, restructured deals, they are handling their respective situations differently.

Johnson has voiced his displeasure and his situation threatens to be a major sore spot for the Titans this off-season; Jackson, on the other hand, won't be a "crybaby."

"I'm not going to panic," Jackson said today, per Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm not going to sit here and be a crybaby about it. I definitely know what I'm worth."

Jackson, who was the Eagles' second-round pick in 2008, is due to earn a base salary of $470,000 and a roster bonus of $335,000 in 2010. But there is a 30-percent rule where the expiring collective bargaining agreement limits increases in base salaries by 30 percent per year.

In 2009, Jackson caught 62 passes for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns. Only Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace had a higher yards-per-reception average than Jackson (18.5) and Jackson led the NFL in receptions of 40 yards or more (10). He also returned two punts for touchdowns.

In my fantasy football rankings, I ranked Jackson as the ninth-best fantasy wide receiver for 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed free-agent safety Darren Sharper to a one-year contract today, per Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

"Sharp had other clubs interested throughout free agency, but this was a time to do the deal and he really made it clear that he wanted to return with the Saints and it would take something out of the ordinary to sign with another club," [Sharper's agent Joel] Segal said. "He wanted to pursue another championship opportunity, and to do that back-to-back is rare, and he wanted to have that chance."

Although the 34-year-old safety was hoping for a longer-term deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Sharper had microfracture surgery this off-season.

It remains to be seen how the microfracture surgery impacts his ability to prepare for the 2010 season.

But Sharper arguably had the best season of his career in his first year with the Saints. In 2009, the Saints ranked third in the league in interceptions (26) after finished tied for 11th in 2008 with 15 picks.

Last season, Sharper, who is the active leader in interceptions (63), intercepted nine passes and returned three of them for touchdowns. In addition, he set an NFL record for interception return yards in a season (376).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Through two NFL seasons, Bears running back Matt Forte has surprised many with the level of his production.

In his 2008 rookie season, only two running backs had more yards from scrimmage than did Forte (1,715): Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,885) and Atlanta's Michael Turner (1,740).

So, naturally, expectations were huge for Forte heading into his sophomore season.

In 2009, however, ten other running backs had more than Forte, who finished with 1,400 yards from scrimmage. Plus, Forte had only a third of the scores (four) that he had in 2008 (12).

With the addition of Chester Taylor to the Bears' backfield, Mike Martz calling the plays and no longer needing to take classes in the off-season at Tulane, Forte believes that he will have a better season in 2010 (than last year).

''It's definitely good to have somebody come in there and spell you or take some of the load off your shoulders,'' Forte said, per Kyle Koster of the Chicago Sun-Times. ''Hopefully, it can help you perform a little bit better and be a little more effective.''

''Last offseason, I actually went back to Tulane to finish up,'' said Forte, who pulled a hamstring during conditioning drills last summer. ''This year, I have a lot more free time to rest my body and gear up for the season. I've been doing a lot more training this offseason than I got to do last year. I think that really had an effect, coming into a season off that injury. I couldn't perform the way I wanted to. This time has been a lot different, and being healthy will make a difference.

''I went back to the place I went to before the [NFL] combine to do some speed stuff and also do power and strength training for both my upper and lower body. It's all been really good.''

With an average draft position of 51st overall (22nd running back off the board) according to MockDraftCentral.com, Forte could end up being a relative bargain in fantasy football as RB3 or flex player.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A few weeks back, Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News called a return of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez for the team's veteran mini-camp in mid-June an "ambitious goal."

As rehab continues to go well for the second-year quarterback and judging by coach Rex Ryan's comments today, the goal seems a little less ambitious now, according to Manish Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger.

“He’s throwing the ball some,” Ryan said. “He looks great. He’s doing everything that we ask him to do. And he’s going to be just fine. It’s really going to be disappointing to him if he can’t come back and do some of those mini-camps or OTAs.… I’d love to see him do that last mini-camp if at all possible.”

If he's not ready to go for the mini-camp and the Jets don't ultimately add Mark Brunell, it will allow the Jets to sort out their quarterback depth chart behind Sanchez between Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge and Kevin O’Connell.

In his rookie season, Sanchez had the ups and downs through the regular season that you would expect from a rookie signal-caller.

Sanchez threw only 12 touchdowns compared with 20 interceptions. Even worse, he threw three or more interceptions in four (of 15) games for a total of 15 picks during that span.

On the other hand, however, Sanchez threw only five interceptions in the other 11 regular-season games. And in the post-season, he threw four touchdowns and only two interceptions in three games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson shares a couple of things in common with New York Jets receiver Santonio Holmes.

While both receivers set career highs in receiving yards -- Jackson had 1,167 and Holmes had 1,248 -- in 2009, neither one is expected to play a full season in 2010.

Holmes is already suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy; Jackson is likely to face a suspension for his second DUI arrest, which resulted in a four-day sentence.

Meanwhile, Jackson, who was stopped on his way to play the Jets in the playoffs, was charged at the time for driving with a suspended license.

On Friday, Jackson pleaded guilty to that charge, per Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“Vince just wants to get ready to play football this season, and he doesn’t want to have a lot of this legal stuff hanging over his head,” [Jackson's attorney Cole] Casey said.

The NFL has received a lot of unwanted attention from events that resulted from players that have been consuming too much alcohol (Baltimore's Donte' Stallworth, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, etc.). Although the league hasn't made a decision yet on Jackson's case, I would expect NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend him for a minimum of four games.

In my pre-NFL draft (and rookie-less) rankings for fantasy football, I ranked Vincent Jackson as the 13th-ranked receiver, assuming a suspension for 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With help from Jets receiver Santonio Holmes, I've learned (well, actually already knew) what to do with my iPod when my flight from Hartford to Des Moines (via Detroit) takes off and lands tomorrow.

Not only will I turn the device off when requested by the flight attendant(s), I won't demand to speak to the police.

Contrary to initial reports of Holmes getting booted off the Newark-to-Pittsburgh flight on Thursday night, Holmes told coach Rex Ryan that he turned off the iPod, as requested by the flight attendant, but that he left the ear pieces in and fell back asleep.

And Ryan said, "I totally believe him."

"When the flight attendant came by she kind of woke him and said, 'Please turn off your iPod.' And he said, 'Yeah, no problem,'" Ryan told reporters (via the NY Daily News). "Well he was tired and never took out the ear pieces, so he went and laid back down. When lady came by and asked again, he said, 'I did. I can hear every word you're saying. I have it off.' He literally handed the ear things to the lady sitting next to him and she goes, 'Yeah, I can't hear anything.' So they were off."

Serving a four-game suspension to start the season, one would expect Holmes to mind his P's & Q's, as pointed out by Pro Football Talk.

In 2009, Holmes had a career season as far as individual statistics are concerned and ranked seventh in the NFL in receiving yards (1,248).

If he were able to maintain that pace (78 yards per game) in 2010, he would finish with 936 receiving yards. However, he transitions to a team with a young (albeit seemingly more mature) quarterback and a run-first offense. So, in other words, that makes 78 yards per game seems overly optimistic.

Assuming Holmes plays in 12 games in 2010, I would expect somewhere around 800 receiving yards for the season. Thirty wide receivers (including Holmes) had 800+ yards in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)