FSH: IDP NOTES

May 20th, 2009 10:30pm PST

IDP NOTES
[My Take]

The dark side of the ball is not for the squeamish, only the strong survive in this realm. If you're thinking of playing with the big boys and don't want to get crushed, then you better know what's going on in the world of the IDP Nation. Here's the latest activity….

My Take...

DB WALT HARRIS TEARS ACL IN VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS
My Fantasy Read: This is not only a tough blow to the Niners, but could prove to be even greater for Harris. The talk is at 34 years of age, it's likely the team could place him on the injured reserver ending his season and possibly his career. Such an injury at any age is a difficult recovery road, but at his age could prove to be insurmountable. Considering everything, it's pretty obvious Harris will have no fantasy value in 2009.

DB DRE BLY TO VISIT THE NINERS
My Fantasy Read: Well you knew eventually someone would come calling, of course due to injuries. With the loss of Walt Harris, the Niners will be looking for competition and depth at the corner. Bly struggled the last couple of seasons in Denver as did the whole defense. Bly is still a decent corner and should help fill the void created by the Niner's loss. It's doubtful that he'll be a big impact player and probably won't have much value in IDP leagues.

LB PISA TINOISAMOA STILL SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME
My Fantasy Read: It looks like Tinoisamoa is working the floor in search of his next employer. The former Rams linebacker is too much of a talent to remain on the outside looking in; last season he led the Rams with 104 tackles. Wherever he lands, he's still got plenty left to contribute and should be a decent late round selection in most fantasy leagues.

LB KARLOS DANSBY CLOSE TO REACHING NEW DEAL WITH CARDS
My Fantasy Read: This of course is great news for the Dansby camp, but just as well for fantasy owners. The sooner Dansby gets back to being able to focus only on football, the better off owners will be with one of the leagues premiere beasts in the middle. Last season Dansby ranked among the leaders with 119 tackles.

DL SHAUN ROGERS SOUNDS CONTENT AND READY IN CLEVELAND
My Fantasy Read: Earlier in the offseason it was sounding like high drama in the dawg pound, but apparently the big boy in the middle has cleared any disagreement with the coaching staff. Rogers is a huge talent in the middle and one of the leagues very best against the run. Last season Rogers ranked among the best up front with 76 tackles and four and a half sacks. He's likely to be one of the top DL taken in most fantasy drafts.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

May 19th, 2009 9:30pm PST

David's Daily Digest
[My Take]

Now that OTA’s are in full swing and the rookies have now joined the team it’s time to start looking at the happenings with a closer fantasy eye. We’ve less than three short months before many fantasy leagues host their annual male bonding, beer guzzling, pizza eating, festival of fools, otherwise known as the draft. This entry features a closer focus on the men under center.….

My Take...

QB CARSON PALMER READY TO RETURN TO FORM
My Fantasy Read: With palmer chucking 50-yards completions during the team’s recent OTA practice, his elbow injury from a year ago looks like a non-issue now. Just two seasons ago Palmer, was playing at a pro bowl level throwing for over 4,100-yards and tossing 26 touchdowns. Following an injury riddled 2008 season, some folks might forget how talented the former Trojan is, and we could see Palmer fall in some fantasy drafts. As a middle round selection, he could be a steal

QB KYLE ORTON WILL HAVE SUCCESS IN 2009
My Fantasy Read: Some Bleacher folks are predicting good things for Kyle and the Broncos in 2009. It’s tough to say how the team will do overall, but Orton could have his best season as a quarterback surrounded with tremendous talent at the skills position. He’ll be a middle round steal in some drafts.

QB BRETT FAVRE GETTING READY TO PLAY AGAIN
My Fantasy Read: Now sure what to read into here, there are mixed reports surrounding the former three-time NFL MVP. If Favre does have surgery to repair the torn biceps, that’s a sure indication of his intention of playing again. It’s too soon to make any predictions, but a healthy Favre is an upgrade in Minnesota and a more attractive fantasy option there as well.

WR BRAYLON EDWARDS REPORTS TO BROWN’S MINICAMP
My Fantasy Read: After all the speculation, rumors, and talks of trade it suddenly appears Edwards is going to stay put? Well for the moment he’s with the team and their only solid pass receiving option. The trouble for Braylon, last season his quarterbacks struggled and without any help to surround him, if Edwards remains in Cleveland it could be a very long season for fantasy owners. Edwards caught just 55 passes and scored only three touchdowns.

QB TOM BRADY HAS “NO RESTRICTIONS”
My Fantasy Read: The reports are Brady is moving well coming off reconstructive surgery. It sounds like Brady could be close to his old self, but until he straps it back on at full speed there’s really no telling if he can return to his 2007 form. He’s likely to go high in some fantasy drafts and even with the potential upside, it remains a risky bet.

QB SHAUN HILL LIKELY NUMBER ONE IN SAN FRANCISCO
My Fantasy Read: From the sound of things Shaun Hill may not have to worry about looking over his shoulder at the competition (Alex Smith), but that’s not necessarily good news for fantasy owners. Hill is hardly a fantasy stud, but could be a servicable QB2 in most leagues, especially if he can improve on his gutsy play he displayed down the stretch in 2008.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NOTES

May 17th, 2009 11:37pm PST

Sunday Night Football Notes

Changes around the League

Is it really that funny to see how teams can suddenly change in just one offseason. Ever since the arrival of modern day free agency, change has become a big part of the game, one that teams must adapt to if they are to be successful. While it's really difficult to determine if any teams have really mastered the art of free agency, one thing that is certain change has become pretty common.

With this year's lot of free agents and the salary cap to orchestrate, once again many NFL teams experience the exercise of offseason changes that some must make to improve and compete. This offseason was no different with a host teams making significant changes that could have huge impacts on how many of these offenses will perform in 2009.

The Cowboys were one of the first teams to make a major move by releasing wide receiver Terrell Owens. There's no question his absence is going to have a huge impact on how this offense will move forward. Already garnered as one of the best receiving tight ends in the game, Jason Witten should emerge as the top pass catching option in Texas and could be very big in 2009. With T.O. gone, Roy Williams may have a chance to flourish in Dallas, but he isn't likely to put up similar T.O. numbers with Witten as the go-to.

Speaking of T.O., now that he's in Buffalo many may speculate that Trent Edwards and Lee Evans will suddenly be elevated among the elite in 2009; not quite. Edwards is still developing, but the presence of Owens coupled with the talent of Evans should help him progress quickly. Evans has the explosive speed for the deep threat; add T.O.'s size, strength and exceptional athletic ability and the Buffalo passing could once again thrive like in the Kelly days. Edwards may not be a top five QB this season, but he should top 3,200-yards and toss 18-20 touchdowns. T.O. is usually been in great shape and there appears to be no decline. If Owens can adjust to the new system, he'll likely be a featured threat and should post better numbers than his 2008 campaign. Evans is likely to enjoy the biggest change. With T.O. drawing some attention, Evans could finally breakout and return to his 80-catch and 1,000-yard form.

There were some moves made this offseason that shook a few heads and will obviously create a lot of change. The Broncos loss of quarterback Jay Cutler is the Bear's gain, but just what did Denver lose. With a new system in place the employs a spread-the-field and attack underneath mentality, were the Broncos really set back by much. Kyle Orton has never been a fantasy type producer, but then he's never played in a wide open system such as McDaniel’s.

In Denver, Orton could emerge as a reliable fantasy option with both receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal not having to see their own fantasy value suffer much. The big question in this move will be how Cutler maintains his top five status in fantasy drafts. The Bears don't have much of a receiving core and lack that big well-skilled go to option that Cutler enjoyed in Denver. Last season the former Bronco was impressive with over 4,500-yards passing and 25 touchdowns. He's not likely to come close to those numbers in the Windy City, although he'll remain a solid fantasy option.

A good question to ask here is how much better will Cutler be, than Orton. If both were back with their former teams, that distance would be great, but considering the current situation the gap has closed and it's a much tighter race.

Who will you draft and when?

There's plenty more to discuss when it comes to changes around the league and I'm sure this won't be the last time I bring it up....


By David Ortega

Check out more "Sunday Night Football Notes" every week!

FSH: IDP NOTES

May 17th, 2009 5:37pm PST


IDP Notes

With more OTAs scheduled this coming week, there is still much to catch up on and keep track of. Many names will be present at some of this weeks mini-camps and there may be a few absent in Tampa and San Diego, here's my take on some of the current IDP happenings from around the league for owners to digest....


DB RODERICK HOOD STILL LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT
My Fantasy Read: Hood was cut by Arizona earlier in the year and is currently set to meet with Detroit on Monday. The former Cardinal is still a talented corner that could latch on with another team as part of their nickel package. Hood is more a coverage defensive back and won't collect too many tackles. If he does play in 2009, he'll have very limited fantasy value in any IDP league.

DL JEVON KEARSE LOOKING FOR EXTENSION WITH TITANS
My Fantasy Read: The Titans defensive end will turn 33 this season. He's on the tail end of his career, so he's not likely to see any multi-year extension from the team. Over the past three seasons Kearse has finished with just three and a half sacks. Injuries and age seemed to have caught up with "the Freak." He's not the player he once was and without big Haynesworth in the middle, Kearse is likely to be even less effective. He's probably not worth drafting or picking up in most IDP leagues, at least not at the start of the 2009 season.

LB SHAWN MERRIMAN NOT PARTICIPATING AS A PRECAUTION
My Fantasy Read: After losing the dominant pass rushing playmaker for basically the entire 2008 season, the Chargers are not taking any chances with linebacker Shawn Merriman. He'll likely sit out the teams OTAs this offseason as a precaution, but return with the team when camp starts in late July. If healthy, Merriman is one of the elite pass rushers in the game, IDP owners will likely have to wait and see how he looks when camp starts before ranking him.

LB VERNON GHOLSTON LOOKING GOOD IN THE OFFSEASON
My Fantasy Read: The Jets linebacker has looked very good this offseason in Coach Ryan's new 3-4 scheme. Gholston lacked a little of the toughness expected at the position, but should get more opportunity this year. With the new defense, Gholston should have a chance to start and spend much more time on thefield. He may be looking good, but it's a little premature for IDP owners to be jumping on his bandwagon.

DL JARVIS MOSS LOOKING FORWARD TO CHANGE TO 3-4 DEFENSE
My Fantasy Read: There has been a lot of skepticism with the hire of new head coach Josh McDaniels, but that doesn't seem to bother Jarvis Moss, the teams former 2007 first round pick. Moss has not lived up all that was expected of him, but with a new coach, a new position, he's hoping for a new start as are fantasy owners. In his first two seasons he's only collected three and a half sacks. Unless he shows great promise right away, he might not even survive minicamp with the Broncos.


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