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Only two wide receivers have done it. One receiver is a top ten fantasy wide receiver for 2011; the other receiver is outside of my top 40.

What have those receivers done?

Steelers receiver Hines Ward and Colts receiver Reggie Wayne are the only two receivers in the NFL to have scored double-digit fantasy points (using standard scoring) in Week 1 of the NFL season in consecutive seasons. In fact, Ward's streak is four games and Wayne's streak is three games.

With the Colts opening the season against the Texans' porous secondary, Wayne seems to be a lock to extend his streak. On the other hand, Ward and the Steelers open the season against the Ravens, who have held Ward to 13, 14, 37 and 47 receiving yards and no touchdowns in their past four regular-season matchups.

Of course, the overall season production of receivers and all players matters much more than what they do in Week 1 (or any other game, for that matter). Yet with the NFL lockout reaching more than 100 days recently, there is increasing optimism that a deal will get done in time for us to see whether or not Ward and/or Wayne extend their streaks.

Here are our fantasy wide receiver rankings for 2011:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans: Despite missing three games last year, Johnson still finished with 86 receptions and 1,216 yards. Based on his per-game averages, Johnson would have finished with 106 receptions and 1,496 yards if he played a full 16 games. In other words, he would have been just four yards short of a third consecutive 100-reception, 1,500-yard season.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions: MegaTron was my second-ranked pre-season receiver last year as well, but the gap is narrowing. For the second time in three seasons, Johnson finished with 1,100-plus yards and 12 touchdowns (although he should have had 13 last year). With the addition of rookies Titus Young and Mikel LeShoure, it could help divert a little bit of the extra attention opposing defenses give him.

3. Roddy White, Falcons: Last year, White set career highs in receptions (115) and yards (1,389) and has now scored double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. For four straight seasons, White has had 85-plus receptions and 1,100-plus yards. The addition of Julio Jones should take some targets away from White, but it should also keep opposing defenses more honest in coverage.

4. Hakeem Nicks, Giants: Although he missed three games last year, Nicks took a big step forward in his second season. Nicks finished with 79 receptions, 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was tied for fourth in touchdowns and his 80.9 yards-per-game average ranked fifth in the NFL.

5. Greg Jennings, Packers: For the second time in his career, Jennings finished with 1,200-plus yards and 12 touchdowns. It was the first time, however, that he did both of those things in the same season. Provided Jermichael Finley stays healthy and the Packers have more of a running game, Jennings should see a few less targets in 2011 but he's still a top-five option.

6. Reggie Wayne, Colts: Wayne, who will turn 33 in November, has been remarkably consistent (1,000-plus yards for seven straight seasons) and durable (hasn't missed any games in past nine seasons). Last year, Wayne set a career high in receptions (111) and finished with his second-highest yardage total (1,355).

7. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: If Derek Anderson is still under center for the Cardinals, it won't be "funny" for Fitzgerald's fantasy owners. Fitzgerald ended a three-year streak of double-digit touchdowns by finishing with a career-low six touchdowns in 2010. And although he saw a slight improvement in receiving yards (1,092 in 2009 to 1,137 in 2010), he had 1,400-plus yards in three of four years from 2005-2008.

8. Mike Wallace, Steelers: Although Wallace finished with only 60 receptions (tied for 42nd in the NFL), he finished fifth in receiving yards (1,257). Wallace led the league in 20-yard receptions (26) and has averaged over 20 yards per reception in his two-year career.

9. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: Jackson, who was designated with the team's franchise tag, held out for the first ten games last season, but he isn't expected to hold out this season (provided there is one, knock on wood). In his last full season (2009), Jackson set career highs in receptions (68), yards (1,167) and touchdowns (nine).

10. Miles Austin, Cowboys: Austin's production was much greater with Tony Romo in the lineup. In three of his first four games of the season, Austin had nine-plus receptions and 140-plus yards. After Romo broke his collarbone in the team's sixth game, Austin had only two games with more than four receptions and/or 70-plus receiving yards.

To see our full list of top 40 fantasy wide receivers for 2011, click here.

More fantasy football rankings for 2011: Quarterbacks - Running Backs - Tight Ends

Over the next two weeks, we will release our point-per-perception (PPR) rankings and keeper rankings in addition to expanding the number of receivers included in our standard-scoring rankings.

Check back at TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section and follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook for our fantasy updates.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Deviating from the old rule of taking a running back with your first two fantasy draft picks often left fantasy owners without many viable options to fill their RB2 spot.

The days of the workhorse back is not completely dead, but the majority of teams now employ a rotation of backs to help maintain their collective health.

If you look at the rushing attempt statistics over the past ten seasons (see image below), there have been an average of six running backs with 300-plus carries in the past four seasons. From 2001 to 2006, however, there was an average of more than ten running backs that reached 300 carries per season. In addition, the difference between the average number of carries between the top 20 rush attempt leaders from the next 20 has narrowed in that same time frame.

For our initial rankings, we have ranked our top 30 fantasy running backs, but we will rank our top 40-50 backs with our next update in mid-July. These rankings are based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) leagues), but we will release PPR rankings by next week.

Here are our fantasy running back rankings for 2011:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: Recently, new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said, "We'll major in giving the ball to Adrian." Those words are music to fantasy owners' ears as Peterson has seen a three-year decline in rushing attempts (363 to 314 to 283). Although Peterson missed a game last year, he needed 31 rushing attempts, which would have been a season high, in the missed game to have reached 2009 levels. That said, Peterson ranks second in yards from scrimmage over the past three seasons (5,239) and has scored 54 touchdowns in 61 career games.

2. Chris Johnson, Titans: Over the past three seasons, no running back has more yards from scrimmage than Johnson, who set the single-season record in 2009 when he became the sixth running back to eclipse the 2,000-yard rushing mark. While his numbers dipped last year, Johnson still has "the same goal" of 2,500 rushing yards, which he describes as "very realistic." However, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean thinks Johnson will be a no-show to training camp if he doesn't get a new contract.

3. Arian Foster, Texans: Foster led the NFL in rushing (1,616 yards), rushing touchdowns (16) and all running backs in receiving yards (604) in 2010. In addition, he was second amongst running backs in receptions with 66. If there's any concern about Foster, it's the return of a healthy Ben Tate, who was the team's second-round pick in 2010, but there's no doubt that Foster will remain an elite fantasy running back in 2011.

4. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs: Despite ranking 14th in the league in rushing attempts (230) and second on his own team (Thomas Jones had 245), Charles ranked second in the league in rushing yards (1,467) and yards from scrimmage (1,935) in 2010. While fantasy owners have been frustrated by Charles' less-than-deserved share of the workload, Charles is expected to get a larger share of the workload in 2011.

5. Ray Rice, Ravens: To some degree, Rice disappointed fantasy owners in 2010. While setting a career high in rushing attempts (307), Rice saw a year-over-year decline in most of his stats and set a career low with 4.0 yards per rush attempt. Even so, Rice still managed to finish in the top three in yards from scrimmage in 2010. With the Ravens unlikely to keep Willis McGahee, who has a total of 27 touchdowns (24 rushing and three receiving) in the past three seasons, Rice could see the endzone more often in 2011.

6. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: Despite playing through a "bone-on-bone" knee condition last year, Jones-Drew rushed for 100-plus yards for six consecutive games before missing the final two games of the season. A couple of months ago, Pocket Hercules said he was ahead of schedule on his rehab and that it was "going to be fun" proving "a couple of people wrong." Rashad Jennings, who rushed for 359 yards in the final six games, is likely to cut into MJD's workload a little more in 2011.
7. Michael Turner, Falcons: Injured for a good portion of the 2009 season, Turner led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2008 and 2010. There are some concerns with Turner -- he turns 30 next off-season, he averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per rush attempt and he doesn't help out in the passing game at all. That said, 16 active players have more carries than "The Burner" so I'm not as concerned about his workload as others and Turner has a nose for the goal-line (39 rushing touchdowns in past 43 games).

8. LeSean McCoy, Eagles: McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, had only one game with more than 20-plus carries in Andy Reid's pass-first offense. Even so, McCoy finished fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,672).

9. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers: Mendenhall set career highs in rushing attempts (324), yards (1,273) and touchdowns (13) after his breakout season in 2009. And, fortunately for fantasy owners, you don't get penalized for Mendenhall's tweets. (And that actually applies to the other professional running back that plays half of his games in the state of Pennsylvania.)

10. Darren McFadden, Raiders: After two largely disappointing seasons, McFadden broke out in 2010. McFadden missed three games, but he finished second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage on a per-game basis (128.0) behind only Foster.

To see our full list of top 30 fantasy running backs for 2011, click here.

More fantasy football rankings for 2011: Quarterbacks - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends

Over the next two weeks, we will release our PPR rankings and keeper rankings in addition to expanding the number of running backs included in our standard-scoring rankings.

Check back at TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section, and follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook for our fantasy updates.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Despite the NFL lockout reaching triple-digit days last week, there has been encouraging news on the labor front that will hopefully lead to a relatively quick resolution from this point. If so, we won't miss any 2011 regular-season games.

Without a new collective bargaining agreement in place, however, it remains to be seen what will happen with guys like Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb and Kyle Orton, who all may (or may not) have new homes in 2011.

That said, what we do know is that teams are collectively airing it out more than they have in recent seasons.

If you look at the chart below, teams threw it more times in 2010 (17,269 times) than they did in any of the previous seven seasons. In addition, the three 17,000-attempt seasons in the last eight years have all occurred within the past four seasons.

Here are our fantasy quarterback rankings for 2011:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: If it weren't for the concussion suffered against Detroit that caused him to miss a game and a half, Rodgers would have thrown for 4,000-plus yards for a third straight season. Even so, he was only 78 yards shy of the mark despite being without Jermichael Finley and much help in the running game for the majority of the season. While he's nowhere near as dangerous on the ground as Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, Rodgers has finished either second or third in rushing among quarterbacks in the past two seasons.

2. Michael Vick, Eagles: On a per-game basis, it wouldn't surprise me if Vick amassed better statistics than Rodgers in 2011. In an eight-game stretch from Weeks 9 to 16, Vick posted 2,219 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 489 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. That was nearly 12 fantasy points per game from his rushing statistics alone during that span. But will Vick stay healthy for 16 games (or 15 games since most fantasy championships take place in Week 16)? That's what worries me.

3. Drew Brees, Saints: Since becoming a Saint in 2006, Brees has thrown for 4,300-plus yards and 26-plus touchdowns every season. In other words, the floor is high. And while Brees will spread the ball around in the Saints' high-powered offense, one thing is for sure: he's going to air it out. Last year, Brees threw a career-high 658 pass attempts, which is the third-most in a season in NFL history. But he also has the fifth-highest (652 in 2007) and seventh-highest (635 in 2008) totals as well.

4. Peyton Manning, Colts: With the exception of Drew Bledsoe's 691 pass attempts in 1994, no quarterback in NFL history aired it out as much as Manning did in 2010 (679 attempts). In other words (or numbers), Manning threw 42.4 pass attempts per game in 2010. Manning has thrown for less than 4,000 yards only twice in his 13-year career and threw for a career-high 4,700 last season. Provided Dallas Clark and Austin Collie can stay healthy for a full season, Manning should be good for 4,500-plus yards and 30-plus touchdowns for a third consecutive season.

5. Philip Rivers, Chargers: Rivers led the NFL in passing yards (4,710) last year even though Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd missed a combined total of 22 games due to injury and/or contract dispute. While it's unlikely that the team will be able to re-sign third-down back Darren Sproles, who finished second on the team in receiving (520 yards), the Chargers drafted wideout Vincent Brown in the third round. Over the past three seasons, Rivers ranks third in passing yards (12,973) and passing touchdowns (92) behind only Brees and Manning.

6. Tom Brady, Patriots: Although he threw for (only) 3,900 yards (seven QBs threw for more), Brady led the NFL in passing touchdowns (36) with the fewest interceptions (four). Brady threw for two or more touchdowns in each of the final nine games of the season without throwing any interceptions in the final 11 regular-season games. Of all quarterbacks in my top ten, Brady has the least amount of talent at the wide receiver position to which to throw. But, then again, that hasn't stopped him before.

7. Tony Romo, Cowboys: In Romo's last full season (2009), he finished with almost 4,500 passing yards and posted a 26-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The third-leading receiver on that team (after Miles Austin and Jason Witten) was Patrick Crayton. This year, it's possible -- even likely -- that the Cowboys have three players finish with 1,000-plus receiving yards: Austin, Witten and second-year receiver Dez Bryant.

8. Matt Schaub, Texans: Despite having a "down" year, Schaub still finished fourth in the NFL in passing yards (4,370) after Rivers, Manning and Brees. And over the past two seasons, Schaub has compiled the second-most passing yards (9,140). Currently drafted after eight or so other quarterbacks, Schaub provides solid value to those looking to wait on a quarterback in their draft(s).

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Roethlisberger, who was suspended for the first four games of 2010, threw for 3,200 yards in 12 games in 2010 despite battling a foot injury, which is now almost "healed up," down the stretch. Had he been eligible to play a full 16 games and maintained his per-game average, Roethlisberger would have thrown for more than 4,200 yards. In 2009, Roethlisberger threw for 4,328 yards. With a strong receiving corps lead by Mike Wallace, there's no reason to believe Big Ben won't throw for 4,200-plus in 2011.

10. Matt Ryan, Falcons: Granted, the Falcons gave up a lot in order to move up to the sixth overall pick to take Alabama receiver Julio Jones. That said, the addition of Jones and running back Jacquizz Rodgers, their fifth-round pick, do nothing but help Ryan's fantasy stock for 2011. Meanwhile, Ryan set career bests in passer rating (91.0), completion percentage (62.5), yards (3,705), touchdowns (28) and interceptions (nine) in 2010.

To see our full list of top 20 fantasy quarterbacks for 2011, click here.

More fantasy football rankings for 2011: Running Backs - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends

Over the next two weeks, we will release our keeper rankings in addition to expanding the number of quarterbacks included in our standard-scoring rankings. Check back at TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section, and follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook for our fantasy updates.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Terrell Owens had surgery within the past month to repair a torn ACL.

Although this is a new injury, which will keep him out for at least six months, Owens had his season cut short last year due to a torn meniscus.

In 14 games in 2010, T.O. finished with 72 receptions and 983 yards and nine touchdowns. Owens was particularly productive during a five-game stretch from Weeks 4 to 9 when he caught 41 passes for 618 yards and seven touchdowns.

A free-agent-to-be, Owens will turn 38 in December and, as Mortensen writes, "his injury status clearly places his status, and perhaps his career, in question."

Owens is second all-time in receiving yards (15,934) behind Jerry Rice, his former teammate in San Francisco. He is also fourth all-time in touchdowns (156) trailing Rice, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Vote in our poll on whether T.O. will play another NFL game.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven't seen the DirecTV promo video of "Football Cops," you can watch it below. Of course, if you have seen it before, you can watch it below.

The video features quarterback brothers Peyton Manning and Eli Manning as the "Football Cops."

It's hilarious.

Eli "already knows what he's wearing for Halloween," [DirecTV's Jon] Gieselman said (via Kevin Armstrong of the NY Daily News).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a silver lining in the NFL lockout cloud for some players bouncing back from injuries suffered in 2010.

Although players are organizing their own team workouts without coaches, the inability of teams to organize ("voluntary") OTAs has allowed players to get a little more rest, if necessary, than they otherwise would in a typical off-season.

As an example, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a broken bone in his right foot last November, has almost fully recovered from his foot injury.

Per Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Roethlisberger said, "It's doing really good. It's healed up. Obviously, it helps when I'm not cutting and planting and doing all of these different activities. It's really come a long way. I haven't had too many problems with it recently."

The pain was so bad last year that Roethlisberger said "there were times during practice and games where I didn't feel like I'd be able to walk."

Roethlisberger even considered surgery, which may be needed at some point in the future.

"I could have had surgery, but according to the doctors it would have been a really nasty process because of where the break was. It was better off trying not to do anything," Roethlisberger said. "It's going to be something where we're just going to have to, in essence, play it by ear. If it continues to be as painful as it was at the end of last year, then I'm going to probably have to have the surgery."

In 12 regular-season games last year, Roethlisberger threw for 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions. His interception rate (1.3 percent) was a career-best and his yards-per-game average (266.7) was the second-best of his seven-year career.

When the Steelers open the season against the Ravens (see team schedule), Roethlisberger will be playing in his 100th regular-season game. He is 69-29 as a starter in the regular season and 10-3 in the post-season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 2011 NBA Draft is roughly 72 hours away.

Here is the latest update of our mock draft from Kyle Baillargeon, our NBA Draft guru, (see his first mock) with plenty of changes throughout:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving, Duke (discuss pick): Irving has the potential to be an all-star caliber point guard. In an era of great point guards, Cleveland would be smart to start rebuilding around one of their own.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams, Arizona (discuss pick): I still think Minnesota will wind up making a trade here. If that doesn't work out, however, expect them to take Williams and look to trade someone out of their front court (likely Beasley, if anyone is willing to take him). Rubio to Williams doesn't sound so bad in Minnesota.

3. Utah Jazz - Brandon Knight, Kentucky (discuss pick): The Jazz will look to start from scratch at the point guard position and it looks like Knight gets the edge over Kemba Walker.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter (discuss pick): The Cleveland dream scenario is gone now that Minnesota has taken Williams. Expect them to go with Kanter to beef up their front court.

5. Toronto Raptors - Jonas Valanciunas (discuss pick): Colangelo loves international players, and with his recent extension he has the kind of security to make this pick. Also, Toronto doesn't have a good center on the roster.

6. Washington Wizards - Tristan Thompson, Texas (discuss pick): The Wizards can pair Thompson up with JaVale McGee and potentially trade Andray Blatche for some help elsewhere. The team is still in the early rebuilding stages, and Thompson is a good building block here.

7. Sacramento Kings - Kemba Walker, Connecticut (discuss pick): While Knight isn't available in this version of the mock draft, Walker can come in and allow the Kings to move Tyreke Evans to the SG position where he belongs.

8. Detroit Pistons - Bismack Biyombo (discuss pick): The Pistons will hope that Biyombo can be another Ben Wallace. Thankfully, the original Ben Wallace is already in Detroit and hopefully he can take the beast from Congo under his wing.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State (discuss pick): New GM Richard Cho will try to make a splash by taking a player we had in the top three in our last mock. Charlotte would be very happy to see Leonard slide this far.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Alec Burks, Colorado (discuss pick): Burks could give Milwaukee an explosive tandem in the backcourt for years to come.

11. Golden State Warriors - Marcus Morris, Kansas (discuss pick): Morris is a bit on the smaller side, but that won't hurt him as much in the run-and-gun Golden State offense. He can also inject some much-needed toughness into the front court.

12. Utah Jazz - Jan Vesely (discuss pick): Vesely could very likely be gone at this point in the draft, perhaps even to Utah with the third pick. But if he somehow falls this far, expect Utah to snatch him up.

13. Phoenix Suns - Chris Singleton, Florida State (discuss pick): Singleton can give Phoenix a strong perimeter defender from the start. While Singleton has a lot of work to do on the offensive end, who better to learn from than Steve Nash?

14. Houston Rockets - Jimmer Fredette, BYU (discuss pick): Jimmer may seem like a bit of a head-scratcher here, but are Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic really the point guards of the future in Houston? Not likely. Jimmer would be an upgrade for Houston, and likely just the first of many moves by Daryl Morey this offseason.

15. Indiana Pacers - Klay Thompson, Washington State (discuss pick): The Pacers will hope that Thompson becomes their point guard of the future. There is a chance he won't be, but he can shoot and could at the very least be a good role player.

To see the rest of our first-round NBA Mock Draft, click here. Or for our NBA Mock Draft database, click here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since Titans running back Chris Johnson entered the NFL in 2008, no running back has more yards from scrimmage (YFS) than he does (5,389).

Johnson, who became the sixth NFL player to rush for 2,000-plus yards, set the NFL's single-season YFS record in 2009.

Last off-season, Johnson had said he "can't play for $550,000" and eventually his contract was reworked to move some money up with some incentives added.

Having shown up for player-organized workouts this off-season, will Johnson report to training camp (whenever that is)?

Although Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean says that Johnson is "still being politically correct" about a new deal when asked at his football camp today, Waytt doesn't expect Johnson to report to camp without a new deal.

Wyatt writes, "When the lockout is lifted, it’s going to be interesting to see if whether or not the Titans will budge this time around, because I don’t get the sense Johnson will."

Well, if the Titans aren't willing to budge, perhaps they can claim they got a non-stop busy signal.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vikings receiver Percy Harvin, who has been migraine-free for about six months, believes his doctors may have discovered the solution to his migraine problem.

“This is the best I’ve felt, probably, since I’ve been in kindergarten,” Harvin told Ed Miller of the Virginian-Pilot (via Pro Football Talk).

“There were a couple of things they found in my neck that I won’t get into – some things they found and fixed, along with diet and the rest of the things that can cause them,” Harvin said. ”It’s been great, and knock on wood, it’ll continue.”

Obviously, this is good news for Harvin although I'll take a wait-and-see approach.

Although I haven't personally experienced migraines (knock on wood), they seem to surface and debilitate others at random times. If Harvin goes a full year without experiencing migraines, I'll believe it to be a thing of the past at that point.

In addition to the lack of migraines, Harvin, the team's first-round pick in 2009, says his speed has gone to a "whole 'nother level."

"My explosion is to a whole 'nother level. My speed has gotten back to top-notch level, so I'm feeling great and really anticipating the season," he said.

That said, Harvin has yet to meet rookie quarterback Christian Ponder in person yet.

With Sidney Rice, who missed ten games last year, expected to test the free-agent market, when possible, Harvin could become the team's No. 1 option at wideout if the team isn't able to re-sign Rice.

Harvin, who missed two games last season, led the Vikings in receptions (71), receiving yards (868) and receiving touchdowns (five).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Based on the team's current roster, Dolphins rookie running back Daniel Thomas, who was selected in the second round, would likely be the team's featured back.

That said, Miami will be in the market for a "complementary back" once free agency begins.

“I’m interested in having another back, whether it fits the description of a scatback or not, we’ll have to see what’s available. You can’t corner yourself into just a scatback,” [G.M. Jeff] Ireland told Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We need another complementary back who complements Daniel [Thomas] and Lex [Hilliard]. We do have somewhat of a scatback in Kory Sheets that we haven’t seen yet, so I’m still hoping he can develop.”

It's unlikely that the Dolphins will bring back veterans Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, especially considering the backs that will be available this off-season.

Although I expect him to be reunited with former coach John Fox in Denver, DeAngelo Williams is one of the names that has been linked to the Dolphins.

In two seasons at Kansas State, Thomas rushed for 2,850 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and 30 touchdowns. In addition, he had 52 receptions for 428 yards during that span.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Terrelle Pryor decided to skip his (suspension-shortened) senior season at Ohio State, the natural assumption is that he would enter the NFL's supplemental draft.

On Thursday, Pryor rejected one of the possible NFL alternatives as he said (through his attorney) that he wasn't interested in playing for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, who had acquired his rights in the CFL.

Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune describes drafting Pryor in the supplemental draft as a "slam dunk," especially for Oakland, and he isn't worried about which position Pryor ultimately plays.

"If you are Al Davis and have a chance to put a once-in-a-generation athlete on the Raiders for the cost of a third-round pick or later, you do it," writes McDonald.

Pryor is expected to be a mid-round pick.

Any team that selects a player in the supplemental draft forfeits their pick in the same round the following year. Since the Raiders don't have a second- or fourth-round pick in 2012, they could use their third- or fifth-round pick to try to select Pryor (assuming they won't use their first-round pick).

If Pryor doesn't work out at quarterback (like many scouts expect), he's a big (6-6 and 240 pounds) and athletic target as a receiver.

"What a weapon he would be. You stand next to him and you can't believe what a physical specimen he is," [former Bears safety and Ohio State assistant coach Doug] Plank said. "He's got great hands, and he's deceptive fast. He just glides away from people -- even people in the secondary."

With no second- or fourth-round pick already, I'm not sure that the Raiders would want to give up their third-round pick in next year's draft as well. But to give up a fifth-round pick for a dynamic athlete that will likely be a converted receiver down the line, it makes sense to me.

Then again, the Raiders often do things that don't make sense to me.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At least, that's how it seems as Titans receiver Kenny Britt was arrested ... again.

In fact, Clay Travis of Nashville 104.5 tweeted earlier today, "I told y'all Kenny Britt was a mini-Pacman Jones. Now he's approaching full-on Pacman status."

Britt was arrested in April on three charges including eluding a police officer, which is a felony, although the felony charge was reduced last week.

Barely 24 hours after pleading guilty to careless driving charges and paying a fine of $487 on Tuesday, Britt was arrested in Hoboken (NJ) on Wednesday and charged with fourth-degree obstruction, fourth-degree tampering or fabricating evidence and third-degree resisting arrest with force, per the Newark Star-Ledger.

While Britt crushed what was believed to be a marijuana cigar in his hand, he may not be facing any drug charges.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tweeted that "Hudson Co. prosecutor Edward DeFazio cautions there is no drug charge against Britt. Police suspected drugs, but none found at scene."

Wyatt also tweeted, "... DeFazio on Britt: 'He just can't seem to avoid people and places that present problems.' "

According to the Star-Ledger, the police complaint says that Britt “did purposely prevent a law enforcement officer from effecting a lawful arrest by using or threatening to use physical force or violence.”

It's only logical that Britt won't get off as easily this time around considering the repeat nature of his legal troubles. And it's fairly safe to assume that the league will be taking a close look into Britt's "conduct" once the lockout ends.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not only will Terrelle Pryor miss the first five games of the season as Ohio State's quarterback, he'll miss them all.

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have decided to forego my senior year of football at the Ohio State University," Pryor said in a statement released by his lawyer, Larry James, on Tuesday evening, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

But, wait, there's more.

In addition to the news that Pryor will skip his senior season, there is an ESPN Outside the Lines report with allegations from a "former friend" that Pryor was paid up to a total of $40,000 to sign memorabilia in 2009-10.

That's just what the Ohio State football program needs: more alleged violations.

Pryor, who compiled a 31-4 record over three seasons, threw for 2,772 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in addition to rushing for 754 yards and four touchdowns last year.

The likely next step for Pryor will be the NFL supplemental draft, provided there is one. If he declares himself eligible for the supplemental draft, however, it's likely he'll only be a mid-round pick.

Per Rob Rang of CBS Sports, a scout told him Pryor "is a nice college player playing in a system that caters to his strengths. He’s a basketball player playing football, though, when it comes to the NFL. He’s not a quarterback. He doesn’t have the makeup, the release or the accuracy for it. And he isn’t one of those guys that you can make into another position. He’s going to run well and people are going to get excited about him, but he isn’t a football player. What you’ve seen at Ohio State – on the field and off – is what you get with him.”

And ESPN's Todd McShay tweeted a question that has an answer that probably won't make Pryor too happy, "Has anyone explained to T Pryor how much mid-round supplemental draft picks make?"

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Quarterback Alex Smith has organized player-only workouts at San Jose State for the 49ers to go through the team's new playbook.

While Smith is currently unsigned and the team used their second-round pick to draft Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, it's very likely that Smith will be back with San Francisco in 2011.

As Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News points out, new coach Jim Harbaugh had said, "If I'm a betting man, then I'm betting on Alex Smith."

49ers receiver Michael Crabtree, who reported to the team's practice today for the first time this off-season, isn't as sure and asked "who's the quarterback?" when a reporter asked about improving chemistry with his quarterback.

"I wish I could tell you who is going to be the quarterback. I don't know," Crabtree said (via Brown). "Whoever the quarterback is, I'm 100 percent down with it and I'm ready to go. That's it."

Crabtree, who was the team's first-round pick in 2009, posted higher total numbers in 2010 (55-741-6) over his 2009 numbers (48-625-2), but that was mostly due to the fact that he held out for five games in 2009.

In 2009, Crabtree had three-plus receptions in all 11 games he played. In fact, he had four or more in nine of those games. By comparison, Crabtree had only seven games (out of 16 played) with four or more receptions in 2010.

After a year of overachieving (2009) and a year of underachieving (2010), what will we get from Crabtree in 2011?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last year, Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles finished second in the NFL in rushing (1,467), which is even more remarkable when you consider he finished 14th in rushing attempts (230).

Meanwhile, backfield mate Thomas Jones had 15 more rushing attempts than Charles, but he finished with only 896 rushing yards.

What kind of numbers would Charles put up if he got a larger workload?

It looks like we'll find out in 2011.

ESPN blogger BIll Williamson spoke with Chiefs coach Todd Haley and wrote that Haley "wants Charles to take the next step and be ready for more carries if need be."

In addition, Williamson wrote that "Haley said he thinks Jones will have fewer carries next year."

Charles, who was the Chiefs' third-round pick in 2008, is part of one of the best draft classes for running backs in recent memory.

Out of the top 15 rushers last year, the following running backs were drafted in 2008: Charles, Chris Johnson, Rashard Mendenhall, Ray Rice, Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden and Matt Forte. In addition to these backs, some others drafted in 2008 include Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones, Ryan Torain, Justin Forsett and Tashard Choice.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roughly one year ago (June 16, 2010 at 8:42 PM), Manish Mehta, the Jets' beat writer from the NY Daily News, tweeted the following: "Fantasy Football Jets Tip of the Offseason: Shonn Greene will have a MONSTER season. Take it to the bank."

Not quite.

Greene rushed for 766 yards, which ranked 26th in the NFL, and scored two touchdowns last year.

To be fair, Greene was expected to get the bulk of the workload on a team that led the league in rushing attempts the year before and had one of the best offensive lines.

In other words, Mehta wasn't alone in pounding the table on Greene's prospects of a "monster season."

One year later, Mehta is reporting something similar by quoting Brian Schottenheimer, the team's offensive coordinator.

“Shonn’s ready to take that next step,” Schottenheimer told Mehta. “He’s just gotten better year in and year out. His durability this year was outstanding. You just see the confidence in his eyes. His ability to pick up pass protection stuff has been terrific the last couple years. We expect a breakout season from him. He’s a guy that’s got just huge, huge, huge potential that we think is right there ready for him to grab.”

Schottenheimer expects Greene to have an opportunity to carry the ball 18-20 times per game, according to Mehta.

If Greene actually gets the workload that's projected for him, he should be in store for a "monster season" this year.

Using the lower end of the range of carries (18) multiplied by last year's yards-per-carry average (4.1), Greene would rush for 1,181 rushing yards. If you use his career YPC average of 4.5 yards, that would project to 1,296 yards based on 18 carries per game.

At the moment, Greene has an average draft position (ADP) from Mock Draft Central of 63 and is the 27th running back off the board in fantasy drafts.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the things that I always try (but struggle) to do is worry about what I can control -- and not worry about what I can't.

Baltimore running back Ray Rice is successfully doing just that by not letting the lockout frustrate him (too much, at least) and by making a difference in the community.

"No, I try to stay positive," Rice said, per Ken Murray of the Baltimore Sun. "A lot of things I've been doing during this lockout is impacting kids' lives. And I don't even preach NFL to them. I preach school, I preach daily life to them. Where I'm at in my career, obviously I'm able to impact these kids' lives."

As Charles Barkley has famously said, parents -- not athletes -- should be role models. But Rice understands that athletes are put in position to be able to make a positive difference as well.

Murray also noted that "Rice looked sharp, quick and in condition" during the player-organized practice when the media was allowed to watch.

Rice, who was the Ravens' second-round pick in 2008, was one of two players to finish with 2,000-plus yards from scrimmage in 2009.

His tremendous success in his second season made 2010 seem like a mild disappointment.

Despite getting a career-high 307 rush attempts, Rice's numbers declined slightly across the board. He finished with 1,220 rushing yards and a career-low 4.0 yards per carry with 63 receptions for 556 yards and six total touchdowns (five rushing and one receiving).

That said, he still finished third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,776) behind Houston's Arian Foster (2,220) and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles (1,935).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Receiver Plaxico Burress is one weekend away from finally getting out of prison.

Last weekend, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook wrote that "it makes perfect sense" for the Steelers to consider bringing back Burress.

Meanwhile, former Giant teammate Brandon Jacobs said last night at Justin Tuck’s R.U.S.H. for Literacy billiards tournament that he thinks there is "no chance" that Burress will be a Giant again.

Of course, no team can sign Burress until the lockout ends, whenever that happens. But when teams can pursue Burress, rumors have surfaced that the Eagles would be at the front of the line.

And Jacobs thinks the feelings are mutual.

“Plax is a Virginia guy, (Eagles quarterback Michael) Vick is a Virginia guy. They sort of went through the same things,” Jacobs said, per Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News. “They’ve got a lot of dynamic players there. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, he thinks, to go down there if you want to win. He wants to go down there, he wants to have a chance to win the Super Bowl right away.”

While Jacobs thinks there's no chance Plax is back with Big Blue, Justin Tuck is "campaigning" for the G-Men to bring him back.

“I’m already campaigning,” Tuck said. “I was campaigning before the lockout started. I’ll say this much: Go back and see what our record was when he shot himself (10-1 in 2008) and how devastating our offense was.

“He has a lot of friends on this team and this is a team that wants him here. I can’t speak for Plaxico. Obviously he has a mind of his own and he knows what he wants to do. But coming from the captain of the New York Giants, I would love to see Plaxico back here in Giants blue.”

Before his incarcerated shortened season in 2008, Burress had double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. In his last full season (2007), he finished with 70 receptions, 1,025 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns.

Considering his size (6-5, 230 pounds), Burress would be a good fit with the Eagles by providing them with a big target in the redzone.

So, where do you think Plaxico Burress ends up? (Take our Facebook poll here and/or comment below.)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Like many others, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic expects the Cardinals to pursue quarterback Kevin Kolb via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles whenever the lockout ends

If Kolb is Plan A, then Denver's Kyle Orton is Plan B.

Somers writes that the Cardinals "have Kolb rated slightly ahead of Orton, but maybe not enough to justify paying a bounty to the Eagles for him."

As Somers notes, the difference in compensation required to acquire Kolb would be much greater than what's needed to trade for Orton. While it will likely cost a first-round pick (and perhaps more) to acquire Kolb, a second-round pick would likely be enough to trade for Orton.

In addition, it's likely that Kolb will seek a new mutli-year deal that pays him in the ballpark of what the Texans paid Matt Schaub, who was in a similar situation as a highly sought-after, back-up quarterback with limited game experience before Houston traded for him.

Kolb, who was the Eagles' second-round pick in 2007, has completed 60.8 percent of his pass attempts and has thrown 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his career.

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

Back in mid-April, Titans receiver Kenny Britt was arrested in his hometown on three charges including one felony (eluding a police officer).

Britt no longer faces the felony charge.

Instead, he faces three disorderly person charges in addition to motor vehicle charges, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

“I don’t want people to get the wrong impression here. Somebody who was not Kenny Britt who was in a similar circumstance would have the same thing happen to their case,” Hudson County prosecutor Edward DeFazio said (via Wyatt). “No one was injured and this is a typical disposition for someone who was in a similar circumstance.”

Since Britt is only facing misdemeanors, DeFazio said, "... this is not a situation where he, as a practical matter, would be facing incarceration.”

Britt, the team's first-round pick in 2009, had 42 receptions for 775 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

According to Mock Draft Central, Britt is the 22nd receiver (and 55th player) drafted on average in fantasy football drafts.

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

If you listen to Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, receiver Earl Bennett is in for a big (or, at least, bigger) season in 2011.

Provided there is one, that is.

“We didn’t throw it to him enough,” Martz said (via ChicagoBears.com). “That will be remedied. He will figure in a much larger role than he did last year. He came to us late. He was injured. I wasn’t really sure where he was with all the stuff. But he established himself as a guy who needs to get a lot more balls than he did.

“He’s extremely reliable. I know Jay feels comfortable with him in the slot doing some of those things. But he should be able to play outside for us as well.”

In addition to missing the off-season workouts last year as he recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery, Bennett, who was the college teammate of Jay Cutler at Vanderbilt, also missed all of the pre-season with hamstring injury and he was inactive for Week 1 of the regular season.

On the season, Bennett, who was the team's third-round pick in 2008, finished with 46 receptions for 561 yards and three touchdowns in 2010.

In 2009, Bennett had 54 receptions for 717 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)