Fantasy Football:

With a history of being dubbed NFL penny-pinchers, the Eagles have always made it known that they do not reward hot streaks. A contract signed is a contract fulfilled as far as they’re concerned. Although laying the law for expectations has come at a hefty price.Terrell Owens was the most publicly exposed contract dispute, but the long list of dollar versus value transaction dilemma’s has been arguably not worth it for the city of Philadelphia. While throwing money at a situation can make a problem go away, it does create a push-over environment that encourages players to hold-out or demand more from their management. It’s a balancing act that the Eagles have been fairly good at over the years, yet last season the team may have bitten off more than they could chew.

Asante Samuel summarized it perfectly last summer in a rant about how the team was playing fantasy football with the personnel. The Eagles were buying up everyone they could, trying to put together a Super Bowl contender. With money being tossed around daily, players like DeSean Jackson were expecting new deals. Instead money was wasted on signing players like Steve Smith who barely made it onto the field in 2011. Fans were left scratching their heads, wondering why they would not re-sign a player that has “T.O” characteristics and seems like he could be a locker-room headache. DeSean not only made it publicly known through the media that he wasn’t happy, but his production on the field took a noticeable drop as well.

The end result was an 8-8 season that the team should be thankful it ended as well as it did. After a Thursday night meltdown in Seattle the team was 4-8 and were officially the biggest bust team of the NFL season. Andy Reid was able to pull things together and ended strong with a 4 game winning streak that arguably kept him from being handed a pink slip.

Today, the team seems completely revamped from within. It seems that 2012 is all about improving team morale, and I for one am very impressed with how the Eagles have modestly turned a new leaf. The Eagles simply got together and began re-signing their talent and addressed the needs at the linebacker position for the first time in years. Ego has taken a backseat and Andy Reid along with the front office are not publicly admitting they messed up, but are doing their best at making things right.

• On March 13 the team extended Todd Herremans’ contract another three years to 2016. $21 million with $11 million guaranteed.
• On March 14news broke that Trent Cole had also re-upped with the Eagles with a four-year contract extension worth up to $53 million with $15 million in guaranteed money
• DeSean Jackson signed a $51 million dollar deal over five years ($15 million guaranteed money)
• Eagles addressed their troubled linebacker corps with a trade to acquire DeMeco Ryans.The team sent a 2012 fourth round pick (acquired from Tampa Bay) and swapped third round picks with the Texans.
• LeSean McCoy re-signed a 5-year contract extension worth $45 million overall and $20.765 million guaranteed

Do the moves this year translate into a more productive season? Are the Eagles stronger from a year ago? Of course only time will tell. The Boo-birds are in one of the toughest divisions in football and have issues with their offensive line. The team will always be holding their breath with the style in which Mike Vick plays, but for the most part I believe they are definitely sleepers in the NFC. If the team can glue together some protection for Vick after the unfortunate loss of Jason Peters this team could go far in 2012.

Fantasy Football:

10 Fantasy Players I Refuse to Draft

Every year the summer rolls around, I can’t stop thinking about how great my fantasy teams are going to be this year, and inevitably, the players who I absolutely won’t draft. We all have them, and we do our absolute best not to touch them. Unfortunately, they sometimes drop three rounds and we get them, anyway, but that’s just bargain shopping. Its hard to turn down a good sale. With that in mind, let’s peep my top-10 players I will avoid like the plague this fall.

Adrian Peterson

Dont get me wrong, I love this guy. He’s talented, vicious, and talented. Yeah, twice talented. But he’s now dealing with a history of injuries. With five NFL seasons under his belt, he’s played in all 16 games only twice. He has appeared to solve his fumbling problems, with only two over the last two seasons, but his ACL is now a much bigger problem. Granted, ACL tears aren’t career-enders like they used to be, but it still scares me. Also, did I mention he’s still going to be facing eight in the box on every play and he comes off the field on third downs? This guy has officially been dethroned from the top overall pick.

Michael Vick

I’m tired of hearing about Vick. I don’t care about the dog fighting, or the protesting, or any of it. He won a lot of people their leagues in 2010, but that was clearly an aberration. In 2011, he reverted right back to same ole Vick. He was poor from the pocket, ran too much, and got injured. He had a career-high 3,303 passing yards, but also threw a career-high 14 interceptions with only 18 passing touchdowns. Add in that he only scored one rushing TD, and yeah, I’m tired of hearing about him. Hes not going to win you anything but the ‘I Have the Most Frustrating QB’ award.

Shonn Greene

Like many, I was captivated by Greene’s aggressive and productive running style during the 2009 playoffs. Like many, I was sorely disappointed after I drafted him in 2010 and watched him flounder all season behind LT. However, like few others, I drafted him again in 2011, thinking it was surely time for him to blossom, and on the tails of Rex Ryan spouting ground and pound mantras. While he was actually fine, statistically, I will never drafted Greene again. Why? Hes so vanilla. If you’re looking for the all-boring team of the NFL, Greene is your starting tailback, hands down. In his three seasons, his longest run is only 33 yards. He averages a middle-of-the-road 4.3 yards per carry, and has only 10 career rushing TDs. Talk about a sleeper.

Jamaal Charles

Not only did he tear his ACL last season (see: Peterson, A.), but this guy is on a stupidly stacked offense. The Chiefs have got two receivers who have put up 1,000-yard seasons and another first-round pick from 2011. They just acquired Peyton Hillis from the Browns, another former thousand-yard rusher. Not to mention the always active Dexter McCluster. This offense is going places, and there’s not enough room for Charles to get the touches other top RB options will get.

DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson goes as Vick goes, and last year that wasn’t too well. In fact, it wasn’t that well in 2010, either, when he finished with just over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. Jackson’s premier year was all the way back in 2009, when he recorded almost 1,200 yards receiving and 12 total touchdowns. Since then, hes become increasingly prima-donna and money-hungry. Now that hes got the big contract, will he Chris Johnson out and forget how to play football? I’m not about to use a valuable draft pick to find out.

Drew Brees

In 2011, this guy was lights out, setting a brand new record for NFL passing yards in a season. He also led the league in passing TDs with 46. This off-season, though, the New Orleans Saints have fallen apart. First the bounty program, then the weird GM listening to opposing sidelines story, and still Brees remains unsigned to a long-term deal. With Coach Sean Payton suspended for the entire season, will this offense run at the same level it did last season? I’m sure they will be okay, based on their personnel, but  I have my doubts.

Matt Forte

About eight games into last season, the number one guy in my league was undefeated, rocking Forte and Fred Jackson at RB. I remember thinking, how could somebody get so lucky? A few weeks later, both backs sidelined for the season, I remember thinking exactly the opposite. I think Forte is going to suffer this year. He’s been in a huge contract struggle with the Bears, he’s coming off injury, and the Bears just signed big-money backup Michael Bush. Something tells me its going to be an off-year for the Bears’ star back.

Vincent Jackson

This guy is the ultimate boom-or-bust in fantasy football (excluding Michael Vick). He will show up one week and get you two catches for 17 yards. Then the next week he’ll throw down the gauntlet and snatch three touchdowns on 175 yards. And that was with Philip Rivers. This year, I expect it to be even worse. With Josh Freeman, his lows will be lower and his highs will be, sadly, lower. Freeman is no Rivers. Keep in mind that hel’l also be competing with Mike Williams for looks.

Dwayne Bowe

I hate good receivers with bad quarterbacks. Matt Cassel has a decent arm and a crazy array of weapons to work with, but his decision-making is lackluster at best. It never ceases to amaze me when I watch the Chiefs play, the guy is just confused out there. I have nothing bad to say about Bowe, other than he relies on such an abysmal passer to record his own stats. There’s nothing worse than watching your fantasy players fail because of their teammates mistakes. Its haunting.

Antonio Gates

While hes definitely fallen down some boards, hes fallen completely off of mine. His upside is limited, his injury risk is huge, and the Chargers offense suddenly doesn’t look all that great. Who is their No. 1 WR? Robert Meachem? Malcom Floyd? The point being, the running game is going to suffer, which means more guys in coverage. The commonly used reason that Philip Rivers had such a down year last season was exactly that: too many guys in coverage. With Vincent Jackson gone, its only going to get worse. And with Gates advanced age and injury history, he no longer has the athleticism to single-handedly take over a game. He is likely to struggle this season.

Fantasy Football:

Unfortunately, that might not be the case.

Titans head coach Mike Munchak suggested Sunday that Kenny Britt may need another surgery on his right knee.

If that were the case, the Titans would likely have to wait much longer before getting their star receiver back on the field. Titan’s beat writer Terry McCormick stated a follow-up procedure would be “comparatively minor,” yet a setback, is still a setback.

To make matters worse, the teams first round pick WR Kendal Wright got his first playbook this week…Ever! As it turns out, Baylor didn’t use a playbook, and Wright’s high-school team didn’t have one either.

“It’s a big book with a lot of plays in it, so I’m just looking at whatever position coach [Dave Ragone] wants me to look at,ť Wright said. There’s a lot of different positions he’s got me looking at. I’m just soaking it all in and going through it every day.”

The media tried to put a positive spin on the news saying Wright had memorized 300 plays at Baylor, which were called in from the sidelines.

I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it. 300 plays? Yeah right. I bet most of those play calls were for basic patterns or improv. NFL teams feature very complex offenses with timing routes, quick adjustments and many audibles. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kendal Wright struggled out of the gate.

The Titans passing game may be a work in progress with young talent and healing veterans. Fortunately there is plenty of time for everyone to get healthy and in check with the offensive scheme. If the coaching staff is patient, the Titans offense should regain it’s confidence and prowess.

Of course, a little help from a guy named Chris Johnson will also make any passing game struggles seem less important. If CJ2K can bounce back to elite form, everyone’s mind will be put to ease.

Fantasy Football:

Kelly Skipper, the Raiders running back coach, had some reassuring things to say about this fallen fantasy stud.

“The thing about Darren is, he didn’t have any major surgeries, so he’s able to come back here healthy and he’s playing at a high level right now and it’s offseason,” Skipper said. “So, that’s a good thing. He didn’t have surgery so he’s going to be off the whole spring. Nah, that’s not the case. He’s out here. You would never know he got hurt. He’s making cuts at full speed, everything.”

Darren McFadden Stats

Fantasy Factor: McFadden’s history of injuries has fantasy owners skeptical of his value. In four seasons, the Raiders have yet to get a full 16 games out of McFadden, making his 2012 fantasy value very high risk/high reward. At the moment, there is no threat to lose carries to the running backs behind him on the Raiders depth chart, making McFadden’s role in the offense a non-question.

Fantasy Football:

Everybody knows about Larry Fitzgerald. You probably took him early in the second round last year, which is roughly the same spot he’s been taken for the last four to five years.

And if you did get Fitz, you weren’t disappointed. The former Pitt star racked up over 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns, elite numbers for a WR1.

But after Beanie Wells went down, the Arizona Cardinals offense offered nothing to fantasy players. In years past, Fitz has been joined by prolific options like Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and Kurt Warner. Not so much in 2011.

That could change in 2012.

With the Cards selecting Michael Floyd in the first round of the NFL Draft, and a healthy Kevin Kolb and Wells, this could be an offense not unlike the 2008 Cardinals team. While I don’t think that Kevin Kolb is going to put up Kurt Warner-type numbers, the skill players could certainly grow by leaps and bounds.

In 2003, Boldin’s rookie year, he caught 101 passes for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns. If Michael Floyd can even get close to that production, that would be a huge starts. Given his play style and skill set, I don’t think there’s any way he approaches 101 catches. He doesn’t have the quick twitch movement abilities to separate from NFL corners often enough to reach that milestone.

But unless you’re in a PPR-league, you couldn’t care less.

Fitzgerald averaged 17.6 yards per catch last season, by far the best in his career. If Michael Floyd can record 16 YPC, he only has to make 63 catches to reach 1,000 yards; very doable for a man of his stature. As far as touchdowns go, Floyd shouldn’t have a problem. At 6’3” 225 pounds, Floyd was built to be a redzone threat. He could easily catch eight to 10 touchdowns and be the best rookie fantasy option in the league.

In fact, with Blackmon catching, or trying to catch passes from Blaine Gabbert, I definitely expect Floyd to be the best rookie WR.

The hang-up on this operation could be the quarterback position. Last season, Kolb played eight games, going 2-6, and John Skelton played the other eight, going 6-2. While this seems to say Skelton should be the starter, Kolb was debatably the better quarterback.

Skelton posted 11/14 TD:INT ratio, 54.9 percent completions, and a 68.9 passer rating. Kolb actually managed a 9/8 TD:INT ratio, 57.7 percent completions, and an 81.1 passer rating.

A strange situation, indeed.

I expect Kolb, the man with the $63 million contract, to be the starter heading into the 2012 season. While he certainly didn’t live up to expectations in his first season with the Cardinals, he also did not have a full offseason to work with his new team. With that in mind, Kolb should be at least a serviceable starter next season, and has some fantasy value as a backup/bye-week fill-in. Obviously, with targets like his, he has QB1 fantasy potential.

Couple in the presumed health and continued effectiveness of Beanie Wells, and this offense could be poised to explode. Expect a number of extremely viable fantasy starters to come out of Arizona.

Fantasy Football:

Houston Texan Cheerleaders "Twins"

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The South Florida Sun-Sentinel published an article in July of last year, revealing that Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at Boston’s McLean Hospital. He is currently pursuing treatment for his mental illness and is even filming a documentary about his struggle.

The Waddle & Silvy Show”on ESPN(great show by the way) interviewed the talented new Bears WR Monday morning, and I got to say, for the first 10 to 13 minutes I was completely surprised from what I heard. His compassion for the late Junior Seau, and his take on the perception people have with depression was very interesting. I thought to myself, “Is this the same guy who was arrested fordomestic violence, disorderly conduct and hitting a woman in the face?” Marshall has done and said all the right things these days, and Bears fans must be thrilled with the early progress and maturity that he is already displaying in his short time in Chicago, lets hope this is just the beginning.

Alright, alright, lets get to the fantasy football stuff already!

The interview didn’t exactly break open the playbook, but one point that really stood out to me was when Marshall was asked about his chemistry with Jay Cutler. Marshall spoke about how Jeremy Bates (OC) Jay Cutler and himself were watching film in Chicago, strategizingfor the upcoming season. While watching highlights from good-old days in Denver, Marshall said he cringed at seeing his poor route-running and blocking in the running game. He noted that at this point in his career with all the knowledge he has gained, that he thought the Bears offense should be dangerous this season. Marshall also added that in the 3 short weeks he has spent in Chicago, he has been hanging out with his teammates no-stop. He said that he has already surpassed the time he spent with players in Miami, even though he was a Dolphin for more than two years.

Marshall also seemed very fond with Devin Hester.

Ive never been around a receiver, never seen a receiver who runs routes like Devin Hester does outside, Marshall said, via the Chicago Tribune. He has all the skills to be a great, a Pro Bowl receiver. Not a punt returner we all know what he can do there but a Pro Bowl receiver. Honestly, I think hes going to have a bigger year than me this year.

Fantasy Factor:

Everything sounds great, -well maybe not the part about where he thinks Hester will have a bigger season than him, but I’m guessing he’s just being humble. It’s hard to not be impressed with the things that Marshall is doing and saying. Just the fact that he is happy hanging out with team-mates is a huge fantasy tip that we should all take note of. If the guy struggles with mood or personalitydisorders, it doesn’t take a Ph.D to realize that being happy is a great short-term cure. A locker room with a positive vibe can do wonders for a players attitude and work ethic. Marshall’s new admiration for fellow teammate Devin Hester also couldn’t hurt. Learning new things from players that your respect is a better way to improve your game. I for one am buying into this Marshall attitude. I may eat my words if the guy gets arrested again or has a falling out in training camp, but so far so good.Marshall could be one of the leagues elite receivers in fantasy football, but it’s the baggage that’s holding him back from stardom.

Gridiron Experts is about to sink into the fantasy-nerd rankings shortly, we plan to have a detail and (hopefully) helpful board ready for everyone to work of soon. Check back to see how high B-Marsh makes the list.

Fantasy Football:

The following break down is the Fantasy Football stock value report for this years crop of rookie running backs heading into the NFL Fantasy Season.

Trent Richardson is easily the most sought after fantasy rookie for the 2012 NFL season. The Browns clearly got themselves a face-lift and will be starting a high number of the rookies acquired from this years draft class. QB Brandon Weeden, OT Mitchell Schwartz, and LB James-Michael Johnson and Trent Richardson are all being penciled in as starters. The talent added will hopefully gel together to form a group that will move the chains and put T-Rich in many opportunities to rack up fantasy points.

Although, there are two theories when it comes to this former Alabama powerback; 1.) He’ll carry the offense and help players like Brandon Wedden improve that much faster or 2.) He will be smothered in a all-out run blitz that defense’s will force down the the Browns throat, resulting in the team to have to throw the ball with their rookie QB.

It’s easy to over-think the countless possibles in which Trent Richardson will hurt your fantasy line-up, the Browns have never been a team for running up the score, nor do they ever get an easy schedule being in the AFC North. Still, this team is built to run the ball. Peyton Hillis may have been a one year wonder after injuries arouse with the offensive line last year. If healthy, the Browns O-Line can create gaps that even the most average RB can succeed with. Insert a running back like Richardson and the possibilities of a big threat rushing attack are down right scary. All the stats and analyzing in the world may not convince you that Trent Richardson is the real deal, but a long time fantasy writer’s “gut-feeling” should. I would take Richardson early and laugh all the way to the fantasy championship.

Fantasy Value: Very High
Fantasy Stock Value: Through the Roof
Fantasy Draft Projection: 2nd to 3rd round

Everybody loves the potential of Doug Martin, but this season may be a learning experience for newest Tampa RB. Fantasy owners need to keep in mind that the job is Blount’s to lose, and that Martin’s rookie season could involve being a productive change of pace running back that the team will ease into the offense. LeGarrette Blount has 20 pounds on this former Boise St. RB, and despite the “bowling ball” comparisons this rookie may not see carries inside the 20 yard-line. Blount proved he can handle a solid workload, and without his injuries last season, I wonder if we would even be questioning his role in this offense. Blount did regress a little  in 2011, his yards per carry average fell slightly from 5.0 to 4.2, but he still had a couple 100+yard games for the Buc’s who were one of the leagues worst teams.

Doug Martin is an investment fantasy RB. While there is a chance he wins the starting job this season, it may not happen right away, so draft him accordingly. He is an excellent keeper-league player, an insurance piece for Blount owners, and a sleeper heading into training camp. But as far as being a every down fantasy starter, you’re kidding yourself if you reach on him too early. Preseason will be where Martin showcase his skills to the coaches, hopefully convincing them to give him extra touches throughout the season, but at this point he is too risky for anything higher than a 5th round pick.

Fantasy Value: Medium
Fantasy Stock Value: Investment Player- Will pay off down the road.
Fantasy Draft Projection: 5th to 7th round

The Giants were pleasantly surprised with what they found available with the last pick of this years NFL Draft. David Wilson played college ball at Virginia Tech, a smooth runner with an extra gear to help accelerate downhill or around a corner. Wilson has a great frame, solid build and seems to play bigger than his what his measurements have him listed at.

The Giants added weapons to make their SuperBowl winning offense that much stronger at the draft. History has shown that the team rarely uses rookies right out of the gate and tend to groom prospects for optimal production. Still, the Giants running game was not their strong point last season, ranking dead last in rushing yards per game (89.2 ). Need vs. coaching tendencies make Wilson an intriguing fantasy sleeper. Tom Coughlin has a strict method to his coaching style, and is very structured about personal. Some doubt Wilson see’s much action early on, yet with such a boost needed at the running back postion, and with the loss of Brandon Jacobs, will Coughlin break some of his old-school rules and allow David Wilson to touch the ball 15+ times a game? – It’s probably too early to say.

*Preseason and training camp will be a great forecast to how this talented speedy RB will fit into the teams gameplan for 2012. Right now, I would have to project David Wilson’s fantasy stock as “yet to be determined” . I know it’s a cop-out, but he could go either way at this point.

Fantasy Value: Low to Medium
Fantasy Stock Value: Sleeper
Fantasy Draft: Projection: 6th to 9th round

If you are going to find a running back to complement Steven Jackson, speedy breakaway threat Isaiah Pead definitely fits the mold. The Rams really must see something special in this kid, as he has limited features other that straight line bursting speed.  Pead is not your every down running back in the NFL and will need to work on correcting many elements of his game. He is a project that will contribute sporadically in the Rams offense. Unless Steven Jackson get’s hurt, and even if he does, Pead has little fantasy value in his rookie season.

Fantasy Value: Low 
Fantasy Stock: deep sleeper
Fantasy Draft Projection: 11th to 15th round

Continue Reading: LaMichael James, Ronnie Hillman, Lamar Miller and many more!

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