Demaryius Thomas – WR, Denver Broncos
According to the Denver Post, there’s concern that Demaryius Thomas’ tests could show a stress fracture that would keep him out 3-4 months. Fantasy Factor- The Broncos are going to be looking at the team veterans to pull their weight the first half of the season. Some fantasy owners are “hands off” Bronco players, but the “Patriot” mentality will be enforced. There might be a sleeper to step up and earn some nice yardage, stay tuned.
Antonio Bryant – WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Antonio Bryant (knee) still hasn’t resumed practicing since the first day of training camp. Fantasy Factor- It seems that Bryant’s injury is worse than reports have indicated, apparently now the Bengals are on the verge of eating the signing bonus and cutting him loose. Link to article at PFT
Sidney Rice - WR, Minnesota Vikings
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is “hearing” that Sidney Rice will be on crutches for eight weeks following hip surgery. Fantasy Factor- Rice is not a fan favorite these days, why not get the surgery done earlier? This is bad news for the passing game, but great news for AP.
Donovan McNabb – QB, Washington Redskins
Though he’s likely done for the preseason, Donovan McNabb insists his ankle “absolutely” has improved since injuring it in last Saturday’s game. Fantasy Factor- McNabb is smart, he says the right things, but secretly he wants some other chump QB in for the next two nothing games while the offensive line works out the kinks. …Continue reading Gridiron Experts Fantasy Factor
In the era of free agency, most players only get one true shot to sign an immense contract, two if there really lucky. Naturally, players in the final years of their contracts seem to perform at a higher level, or at the very least seem to put in a larger amount of effort than they have in previous years. Co-incidence?… I highly doubt it. The 2010-2011 season is a contract year for an absurd amount of “big name players” (largely due in part to the impending collapse of the CBA). And this is something that any fantasy player should take note of. Here is a list of the most prominent players heading into a contract year that may be able to aid in vaulting you to the upper echelons of your league this upcoming season.
Michael Strahan Sacks McNabb
After laughing my ass off at the unexpected cameo from Donovan McNabb getting crushed for old-time sake, one has to wonder why D-Mac would even want to do this commercial? We all know Michael Strahan is flat broke from his ex-wife and would do anything for a buck, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see Strahan the next Sham-Wow guy, but McNabb has had a rough offseason and doesn’t need to be in the spotlight anymore than we’re already sick of seeing. Still McNabb has always had a good sense of humor, and as it turns out, his move to Washington may be setting him up with multiple deals: Sports Business Journal.com
I’m guessing this will be a series of ad’s involving the gap-toothed funny man.
Enough already, McNabb to the Redskins, we get it.
Everyone was shocked. We’ve all read articles on who people think got the better half of the deal. Whether it’s ex-players who knew McNabb or watched him play, or unprofessional know it all’s like Brian Baldinger who love to hear themselves talk, the deal is done and only time will tell who came out ahead.
We understand that Eagles fans are either bummed with the loss or very excited about now becoming one of the youngest teams in the league (?), but if you’re not fan of either of these NFC East teams, your primary concern may lay elsewhere…like Fantasy Football.
What does this trade mean for fantasy football owners who are in keeper leagues are the world?
Gridiron Experts is going to try and move past the drawn out scenarios in which Donovan McNabb wins a Super Bowl with the team across the street, and look at how this could affect fantasy players.
Donovan McNabb
At first, some fantasy owners may see the trade of Donovan McNabb from a team with speedy young receivers to a team built around a running game as a step back. But if you really analyze how Mike Shanahan uses his quarterbacks you may change your mind.
The Eagles don’t run the ball, and because of that defenses are constantly prepared for the big play or at least the pass. Opposing coaches love seeing the Eagles in 3rd and short situations as history has shown the Birds are clueless at picking up those 2-3 yards for a first down. McNabb has made a living with the big strike and has always found a way to buy time and create something out of nothing.
In Washington, the workload for McNabb should be reduced but the yardage could increase. A balanced offensive attack is the most underrated offensive strategy anyone can have in the NFL. The Redskins will use their trio of running backs to keep defenses guessing with the classic Shanahan running game. With McNabb under center, the big strike play action pass is …Continue reading How Does McNabb Trade Affect Fantasy Football
NFL Players Give Us Their Favorite Swear Words- Maxim.com
NFL Players are known as some of the nastiest dudes on the planet, and based on some of the lengths of the bleeps in this video, you can see why. Maxim recently had the chance to hang out with some of these….click on th Picture
Seattle’s deal for Whitehurst most intriguing QB move of free agency- SI.com
Intriguing as the roll of the dice Seattle took by boldly trading for San Diego’s Whitehurst in a deal that has boom/bust potential written all over it. Whitehurst was the little-known and even lesser thought of No. 3 quarterback in San Diego, behind starter……click on the Picture
Reid: Team evaluating trade offers- ESPN.com
Andy Reid has said Donovan McNabb is his starting quarterback heading into the 2010 season. But the trade rumors around the team’s quarterback situation have persisted. And now Reid says offers are being made for all three of the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks….click on th Picture
Bears-Cowboys Thanksgiving game gaining steam- Profootballtalk.com
With FOX televising the game, the opponent definitely will be one of the Cowboys’ six NFC opponents: the Redskins, Eagles, Cowboys, Lions, Bears, and Saints. As Williams points out, the Cowboys haven’t hosted an NFC East opponent on Thanksgiving since 2002. The Lions are otherwise unavailable that day, and Saints-Cowboys is…..click on the Picture
Florida wideout excited to play with a “real quarterback”- Yahoo Sports
Tim Tebow’s departure for the NFL hasn’t left everyone in Gainesville in mourning. Thompson isn’t losing any sleep over the loss of Tebow. AP. While most of Gator Nation is still trying….click on the Picture
Eagles Drunken Ego
ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio is reporting the Seattle Seahawks are calling “non-stop” about the Philadelphia quarterback Kevin Kolb (who has only ever started two games), it appears they’re only interested in the younger of the three QB’s.
Ok but get this…The Eagles, who still see Kolb as their future, would reportedly require twofirst-round picks in exchange for him. Seattle does have two picks in this years 1st round, but it’s hard to picture them parting with one, let alone both picks. The Eagles’ asking price for McNabb is said to be a first-round pick “plus something else.” What does that mean a couple of lap dances?
What gets me is the arrogance of the Philadelphia Eagles head office in believing that the asking price for such a young unproven quarterback is warranted. The Eagles need to take a few chances in order to get past the dreaded NFC Championship game, and gaining one 1st round pick could add the missing piece to the puzzle. Greed for a player that can be replaced in the middle round of this years draft is just stupid.
In week 2 the Eagles may not “Brees” through the Saints like they did through the Panthers. The word out of Philadelphia is that Kevin Kolb will be starting in place of Donovan McNabb if he is unable to play on Sunday due to his broken rib. The players and coaching staff in Philadelphia have expressed their confidence in Kolb getting the start, but not everyone feels this way, especially Philly fans.
Rightfully so, Kolb has not been too impressive in his regular season performances. Last year Kolb was only called in for the second half of the Ravens game in which McNabb was benched, or if a game was clinched and they wanted to give him some snaps for experience. Whatever his reasons may have been for being called on, in 34 pass attempts Kolb has thrown four interceptions and only completed 50 percent of these passes. If he does throw up a stinker don’t be surprised to see the recently re-acquired Jeff Garcia clip up the chinstrap and trot onto the field.
Kolb himself on the other hand is rather confident that he will do fine on game day and believes he has a more firm grip on the offense now and at game time. “I think I pressed too much, I tried to show everyone I was ready, you can’t press as a quarterback. That’s in the forefront of my mind: relax and play smooth. Let the guys we have out there make plays.”
Kolb has it correct, in order for the Eagles to keep up against the Saints this weekend, the players the Eagles do have on the field have to make plays. Kolb needs to get the ball into the hands of Brian Westbrook early and often. The most important key to victory in this game is keeping the Saint’s powerhouse offense off of the field. …Continue reading Eagles Strong Even Without McNabb
As the saying goes: the game is played on the field, not on paper.
If there ever was a team that looked great on paper but didn’t reciprocate with the Championships, it would be the Philadelphia Eagles. NFL odds makers know that they haven’t been short on regular season wins this decade but have never won a Super Bowl. Coming close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades, so if the Eagles want to win it all they’ll have to fix their short yardage game and be more of a threat in the redzone, both could be fixed with smarter play calling. Off-season Transactions
The Eagles did some renovations in the off season, which should have plenty of fantasy implications. They upgraded their offensive line by acquiring Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews, but they will take some time to gel. The Eagles added some offensive depth in the draft with first-round pick Jeremy Maclin and second-round pick LeSean McCoy, but their most underrated acquisition might be fullback Leonard Weaver, who can help in their areas of need in the red zone and 3rd and shorts.
The media is making Michael Vick out to be the greatest weapon the Eagles picked up, but we are still waiting on a decision on when he can play in the regular season; rumors are that the Commissioner will announce a decision on Monday. …Continue reading Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Preview
This series of articles focuses on how the new breed of talent from the NFL draft plans to affect overall fantasy football player value.
AFC: NORTH | EAST | SOUTH | WEST
NFC: NORTH | EAST | SOUTH | WEST
Eagles Drunken Ego
Kolb himself on the other hand is rather confident that he will do fine on game day and believes he has a more firm grip on the offense now and at game time. “I think I pressed too much, I tried to show everyone I was ready, you can’t press as a quarterback. That’s in the forefront of my mind: relax and play smooth. Let the guys we have out there make plays.”
