Pro Football 101 Fantasy Rankings: AFC East Defense, Special Teams

 

Why the Minnesota Vikings Should Not Go After Michael Vick

Brett Favre has finally ended the drama surrounding his potential return, announcing that he’s going to stay retired and relax at his Hattiesburg, Miss. home.

Upon hearing this announcement, many football people, now free from the incessant ESPN coverage and rumors concerning Favre’s return, are taking a deep sigh of relief.

Except for the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre was supposed to step in and be the final piece to Minnesota’s puzzle, the guy who was finally going to take the Vikings to the promised land.

Now finding themselves back at square one, Vikings brass now have to deal with the fallout of this news. Every move that quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels make will be scrutinized under the finest of microscopes, with people wondering whether No. 4 would have done any better.

Maybe they should try another former star quarterback from the NFC—old No. 7, Michael Vick.

Could the Vikings, fresh off of a Hall-of-Fame quarterback snubbing, consider signing Vick?

Yeah, Vick might be worth a look—he has a reputation as quite a playmaker.

Should they?

Not if they’re looking for an upgrade at QB.

At first glance, Vick’s name alone would be a huge draw. He was a household name with Atlanta and led the Falcons to two playoff appearances. He’s also been named to the Pro Bowl three times.

No doubt, he has an impressive resume. And something that the Vikings may consider if they want to sell tickets and make a push for that new stadium they’ve been clamoring about.

But a deeper look at his numbers show that he isn’t what the Vikings are looking for. Let’s compare Vick’s numbers to Minnesota’s incumbent QB, T-Jack.

In 74 games, Vick has completed 930 of 1,730 passes for 11,505 yards and a 53.8 completion percentage, which is tied with the great Randy Wright for 134th all-time.

Jackson, on the other hand, has had very similar numbers to Vick’s—in 25 career games, he’s completed 306 of 524 passes for a 58.4 completion percentage.

The main difference is that Jackson has yet to hit his prime, while Vick is most likely past his prime.

Not to mention that Vick probably hasn’t even touched a football since his incarceration and won’t be able to play until Week Six of the season. There’d be quite a readjustment period for Vick, one that the Vikings wouldn’t want to have to deal with.

The only thing Vick truly has going for him is his speed, which might work on a team featuring Harvin and Adrian Peterson.

But Minnesota isn’t looking for another running back. They need someone who can throw the ball down the field efficiently, someone who can manage the air attack while Peterson carries the offense.

Remember why the Vikes wanted Favre in the first place—Jackson has been frustratingly inconsistent during his three years in the league, and Rosenfels has never played a full season under center. In theory, Favre would have been the ideal person to sling the ball to Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, and Bobby Wade.

That may be asking too much of Vick, who has always struggled with making accurate passes throughout his career.

For Minnesota, it would be better to either continue developing the 26-year-old Jackson or turn the reins over to Rosenfels, who showed flashes of success while subbing for an injured Matt Schaub last year in Texas.

One thing is certain, though: making a run at Vick would be a big mistake for the Minnesota Vikings.

 

Ranking the NFL Wide Receivers: No. 16-25

I’ve already revealed my Top 15 WR (which you can view by clicking here), so let’s take a look at the next 10 on my list:

 

16. Vincent Jackson—San Diego Chargers

Being the top receiver for the team with one of the best QBs in the league surely has its advantages.  He has gotten better each year in the league going from 59 yards to 453 yards to 623 yards to last season’s 1,098 yards. 

I know the team is going to run plenty (with LaDainian Tomlinson & Darren Sproles), and despite aging, Antonio Gates is going to be the prime target in the red zone.  Still, it’s likely he takes the next step and becomes a major force in the Chargers offense.

 

17. T.J. Houshmandzadeh—Seattle Seahawks 

He leaves Cincinnati to become the top option for steady QB in Matt Hasselbeck.  He’s had over 90 catches in each of the past three seasons and 900 yards or more in each of the past five. 

He didn’t find the end zone very often last season (just 4 TD), but that was partly due to not having a strong QB throwing him the ball. I’d expect him to score at least 8 TD this season, if not more.

 

18. Santonio Holmes—Pittsburgh Steelers 

The reigning Super Bowl MVP needs to turn it up in the regular seasons.  He seems primed to do so, having reportedly added muscle this off season (you have to love these clichés, no?).  Last season he managed just 821 yards and 5 TDs, only twice having 90 yards receiving in a game. 

The difference is that he’s likely going to be the No.1 receiver this year, over an aging Hines Ward, which should allow him to significantly improve on those numbers. He’s a risk, but then again, any receiver at this point in the draft are going to have question marks hanging over their head. He has tremendous upside and is worth the gamble.

 

19. Anthony Gonzalez—Indianapolis Colts 

I’ve already spent time discussing him (click here for the article),the fact of the matter is that he is now the No. 2 receiver (thanks to the departure of Marvin Harrison) on a team that features one of the top three QBs in the league. He’s certainly ready to take the next step.

 

20. Jericho Cotchery—New York Jets 

He’s the No. 1 receiver in New York, but his value now lay in the hands of a young QB, whether it be Mark Sanchez or Kellen Clemens.  That’s certainly going to have a major impact on his potential this season.  He actually took a step backward last season, with just 858 yards. 

As Brett Favre faded, so did Cotchery, with just two games of 80+ yards of the seasons final two months.  Over that time he also had just 2 TD.  He’s going to make some plays, but if the QB is struggling, his numbers are once again going to go with it.

 

21. DeSean Jackson—Philadelphia Eagles 

A rookie last season, he showed the Eagles what he was capable of doing by picking up 912 yards and playing in all 16 games (15 starts).

Granted, he managed just 2 TD, but with more maturity and experience playing with Donovan McNabb, that number can only go up. Look for him to really emerge in his sophomore campaign making him worth using as a No. 2 receiver in all formats.

 

22. Bernard Berrian—Minnesota Vikings

The question of Brett Favre has been answered, and could it be a blessing in disguise?  As the Jets saw last season, just because Favre is there doesn’t mean the passing game is going to be explosive all year long. 

He only had 48 catches last season, but he set a career high with 964 yards and 7 TD.  Look for him to continue to build on those numbers.

 

23. Braylon Edwards—Cleveland Browns 

Mr. Drops, as he’s come to be known, was nearly shipped away to New York during the off season and enters 2009 in desperate need of re—establishing his value. After scoring 16 TD on 80 catches in 2007, he managed to find the end zone just three times last season on 55 catches. 

You can blame the QB all you want, but he simply needs to step it up and make plays.  He has the potential to return to being a Top 10—12 wide receiver this season, certainly making him worth the gamble.

 

24. Lee Evans—Buffalo Bills

He posted a 1,000—yard season for the second time in his career in 2008.  With Terrell Owens in place and Trent Edwards potentially ready to bust out, Evans could be in line for a monster season. No longer the focus of the opposing defense, he should have the ability to post solid numbers.

 

25. Eddie Royal—Denver Broncos

He emerged as a rookie last season (91 catches, 980 yards), but that was with Jay Cutler at the helm. Can he repeat those numbers with Kyle Orton running the offense?  Time will tell.

 

What do you think?  Who got left out of the Top 25 that you feel should be included?  Who should be removed from the list?

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

Braylon Edwards: A Study in Narcissism

Braylon Edwards just doesn’t get it. 

 

I kept telling myself that, sooner or later, Edwards would string together a couple of good decisions and become a productive member of the Cleveland Browns.

 

Today, I’m not so sure that’s going to happen. He does make good decisions every now and then, it’s just that they’re broken up by his insistent need to placate his own ego.

 

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Edwards failed his physical upon reporting to the Browns training camp on Tuesday—one day late. What the ramifications of this situation could be still are unknown and I won’t speculate at this time.

 

Don’t get me wrong, Edwards isn’t Terrell Owens or Plaxico Burress…at least not yet. My problem with Edwards is the fact that it isn’t singular—I have PROBLEMS with Edwards as a fan possessed of above average football intelligence.

 

His on-field difficulties last year catching the ball, the only thing he really was signed to do, have been well documented. Fan ire from his lack of production has elicited pouty, juvenile remarks from Edwards that served no purpose other than to make things worse.

 

His off-field antics, however, have rarely been bad enough to warrant more than a few paragraphs and an almost “Manny being Manny” type response from the majority of the peanut gallery.

 

But let’s run down the list of off-field distractions Edwards has gotten himself into (and out of) since joining Cleveland in 2005.

 

His first year with the Browns featured a holdout. This situation isn’t entirely unusual with first round picks, but it was a bad way to start his NFL career.

 

Next, Edwards bonded with Kellen Winslow, Jr., during the 2006 offseason while both were rehabbing injuries. Given Winslow’s self destructive behavior, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Winslow probably wasn’t the best role model for Edwards to bond with.

 

During the 2006 season, Edwards attended the Ohio State-Michigan game against the advice of Browns coaches and several team captains. This would indicate a complete lack of respect for the people he worked with at the time, and not something the current regime would tolerate.

 

The 2007 season seemed to be a watershed year for Edwards, who made the Pro Bowl and had a fantastic season. It seemed he had turned a corner and finally was maturing into the kind of player we all wanted him to be.

 

In fact, Edwards even had made several donations to his alma mater, Michigan, and to local Cleveland charities. This would seem to indicate he was beginning to realize there was a world beyond his own ego.

 

But then the calendar turned to 2008.

 

Edwards couldn’t catch much of anything last year, and seemed more interested in being on ESPN as a guest commentator on NFL Live than scoring touchdowns.

 

I vividly remember the Monday night game versus the Giants, the one game where everyone played up to their potential, and Edwards had stripped off his uniform and put on a headset for the postgame show before most of the team had even left the field.

 

Edwards couldn’t wait to tell the world how good he was that night. Too bad it never happened again, but it did show you where his priorities were. Edwards put self-promotion above the team.

 

Once the calendar turned to 2009, you’d think things might be different.

 

Nope.

 

Apparently, Edwards was having a huge party with Donte Stallworth just prior to Stallworth committing DUI manslaughter. While Edwards’ renting of a hotel room is commendable, his decision to blow thousands of dollars on alcohol and then let Stallworth leave point to lapses in judgment.

 

Now it’s training camp time and Edwards appears to be a day late and an ankle short, if the rumors of a basketball-related injury are to be believed.

 

Head coach Eric Mangini doesn’t believe in disclosing injuries, so we are left to guess. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just frustrating from an analytical standpoint when you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.

 

Edwards appears to be on the same path cleared for him by receivers such as Terrell Owens, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Randy Moss.

 

All the above mentioned names have had great numbers, but those numbers have come with increasingly bizarre behavior that have resulted in poisoned locker rooms and lost seasons.

 

Owens is down to his last team. There will be no other takers for Owens if he self destructs in Buffalo.

 

Ochocinco hasn’t won anything and will have to be a much better teammate and player this year to justify any kind of new contract he might want no matter what name he chooses to use.

 

Moss is the only one who appears to have righted himself, but that’s after wearing out his welcome in Minnesota and Oakland.

 

When you’re too much of a distraction for the Oakland Raiders, that says something. But I’ll give credit where credit is due because Moss has been a good teammate in New England.

 

Hopefully, Mangini can work the same kind of magic on Edwards this year, if for no other reason than to have him healthy and productive before the trading deadline.

 

Edwards has to realize that even though he’s been to a pro bowl, teams have far lower tolerances these days for the oversized egos most wide receivers seem to have acquired since the early nineties.

 

The occasional lapses in judgment have a tendency to become more frequent and more egregious when there are no consequences—just ask Stallworth.

 

If Jerry Jones will cut a productive Terrell Owens, that means he would have no interest in signing the much younger and far less productive Braylon Edwards. If Edwards can’t figure that out, then his agent better beat it into his skull.

 

I don’t see Edwards staying with the Browns past this season, but if he’s going to be here, I want him on the field, ready to produce.

 

It is critical for Edwards that he not only catch the ball, but that he make the right decisions when he’s not on the field. Otherwise, he’ll be just another big sports ego doing the perp walk for ESPN cameras.

Michael Vick: Five Teams That Are a Good Fit for the Quarterback

Earlier this week, Michael Vick was allowed back into the NFL, making him an available free agent to all 32 teams in the league. While some believe he will find a job, there are not many places that would fit for Michael Vick, especially a controversial city that would haunt his past wrong-doings. Today, I have come up with five teams that would be good fits for Michael Vick to continue his NFL career.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Signing of Josh Freeman Is Imminent

In the world of business, when it comes to contracts, it all typically begins with something known as “good faith.”

When it comes to quarterback Josh Freeman, he has shown that and more to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the first-round pick should be in the fold any time in the next couple of days.

“Time is of the essence,” is another clause from real estate contracts and Digger Daley, the Bucs new contract guy should know that, as he is a former real estate salesman.

Time IS of the essence. The countdown is in its final stages. The crew reports on Friday for the Saturday launch of “Camp Raheem.”

Freeman has shown “good faith” to the team. He has been in Tampa, working out at the facility.

“Freeman has been working out at the facility and talks are productive and amicable,” reports Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, commenting on discussions between Freeman’s agent and Bucs GM Mark Dominik.

The national media has put Freeman right in the middle of the quarterback competition, despite what was projected when he was drafted. The consensus is that the young fellow from Kansas State will play sooner than later.

Freeman’s debut could come by the eighth game, which means it is time to sign him and have him in camp with everyone else.

First-round signings have been few and far between. Only four picks have signed, with Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, both quarterbacks, signing over a month ago.

The quarterback position is one of the key battles for the Buccaneers and it’s that lack of certainty that has much of the national media putting the kibosh on expectations for this team.

Still the main expectation in Tampa is that Freeman’s signing will be announced by Friday’s reporting date.

It’s all about “good faith.”

Worrisome Cowboy: Will Tony Romo and Roy Williams Mesh in Dallas?

That is one of the big questions heading into Cowboys training camp. According to multiple sources around the Cowboys facility, there are worries that Williams and Romo may get off to a rough start.

 

During OTAs in the offseason, the pair didn’t click well enough to give coaches and fans much hope of duplicating the success that Tony had with former Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens.

 

Owens is now in Buffalo and Williams is the lone soldier on the end now, left to pair with Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, and Patrick Crayton.

 

Between these three men, they have a combined total of 52 touchdowns—that’s not even halfway to Owens career total of 139.

 

When Terrell played for the Cowboys he averaged 12 touchdowns over his three seasons, never logging less than ten touchdowns in one season.

 

Roy’s career total you ask? A paltry 30 with his highest totals of eight coming in 2004 and 2005, his rookie and sophomore seasons.

 

When healthy, Tony Romo has the ability to sling 30 touchdowns a year with evidence coming during the 2007 season when he threw 36. With an injury-plagued season in 2008, he only tossed 26. Not a bad average right?

 

But will he see his totals dip with Williams?

 

If Tony can stay healthy and his offensive line gives good protection, Tony will throw for at least 30 touchdowns this season. Roy Williams will not put up Terrell Owens-type numbers, but he will have a serviceable season.

 

Miles Austin will develop into a great deep-threat option, Jason Witten will continue to have Pro Bowl numbers, and Sam Hurd and Patrick Crayton will at least catch five touchdowns between them.

 

However, if Williams only draws single and double coverage, how will this affect the Cowboys running game?

 

Against certain opponents Terrell Owens would draw a linebacker, a corner, and a safety up top just to contain his deep-threat abilities. I’m not so sure Williams will command that same respect.

 

If he doesn’t, look for the Cowboys to use more two-tight end sets with Witten and Martellus Bennett along with featuring Tashard Choice and Felix Jones.

 

The Cowboys face the possibility of having a 1,000-yard rusher in Marion Barber and at least a 500-yard gainer in burner Jones.

 

Dallas is also flirting with the idea of returning Barber to his original position as more of a second-half back and starting Felix in a Julius Jones-type of role.

 

If the running game manages to become as successful as it seems to be on paper, then the Cowboys stand to have a fighting chance in the tough NFC East.

 

If Roy Williams can scrum up eight touchdowns and 1,100 yards, then look for Tony Romo to make another Pro Bowl appearance and for the Cowboys to contend for an NFC Championship berth.

 

-JH

Minnesota Vickings? Why Michael Vick Isn’t Worth the Risk

The Vikings are going to say they are okay with their quarterback situation, now that Brett Favre has decided to stay retired. Now the talk can begin about Michael Vick taking his circus to the Metrodome.

How can they even think about it?

There’s a reason no teams have inquired about Vick: he’s not worth the hassle. He’s been out of the league for two years, and people seem to think that he was a great quarterback when he played for the Falcons.

Does anybody remember just how average he was as a quarterback?

Sure, he had the dazzling running ability. He even ran for 1,000 yards one season, and took the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game in 2004, but he isn’t worth the hassle of bringing him to Minnesota.

The question for any team, especially Minnesota, will be if the risk will be higher than the reward. Teams will have to decide whether Vick can help them enough to put up with the backlash that will come from the media circus. Organizations such as PETA want to get their names out any way possibile.

Vick is their perfect target, and for a team that made the playoffs last year, even with their less-than-average quarterback play, he won’t make that big of a difference. Fans have to remember before pressuring their team to go sign Vick that he had an offense designed just for him in Atlanta.

Minnesota will not.

As much as Vick’s physical ability is greater than Tavaris Jackson’s, their stats are pretty similar. Jackson has a higher quarterback rating and Vick only throws for 18 yards per game more.

Jackson is far less of a headache for 18 yards per game. He has shown that he can be an effective quarterback before, and with the talent on the Vikings roster, Vick cannot and should not be an option.  

Michael Vick Joining the Jaguars Could Shake Things Up in Jacksonville

Picture this: Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver calls head coach Jack Del Rio into his office soon after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a conditional reinstatement of QB Michael Vick. After about an hour or so, Del Rio leaves Weaver’s office, and Weaver makes the call.

Seriously, it is about time the Jaguars make a splash in the NFL. Would it be controversial? Without a doubt it would shake things up in this conservative and tight-knit town.

I would venture to bet that it would sell a few more tickets and make the team a bit more interesting.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the Jaguars. However, the Jaguars have always seemed to be a second-tier NFL team, and their version of thinking outside the box is reaching out to players that are past their prime and paying them excessive salaries.

Is Vick past his prime? Maybe, but let’s face it: He was exciting to watch with the Atlanta Falcons, and you always knew that he was going to make a play. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars badly need a spark. Yes, there would be animal activist protesters, and other angry citizens would certainly pile on.

I love it! Mr. Weaver, please make the call!

Vick has paid his price to society. Goodell put conditions in place for Vick to adhere to that allow him to sign with a team and begin to prepare for the upcoming NFL season.

And frankly, Mr. Vick would come to work rather cheaply.

A one-year contract with a low base salary with heavy incentives would get him into camp. That would be a change for the Jaguars, and bringing in an exciting and controversial player would be extraordinary.

Hosting a Super Bowl was nice, but giving Vick a second chance while he provides some excitement would be even better for the city of Jacksonville.

Pull the trigger, Mr. Weaver. Pick up the phone and make the call before Jerry Jones or Al Davis does.

Philadelphia Eagles Defense Always Great under Jim Johnson

Not being an Eagles fan, I did not have a profound knowledge of Jim Johnson, who died of cancer on Tuesday at the age of 68.

 

However, I do know he was a great defensive coordinator whose innovative, blitz-heavy schemes made the NFL entertaining to watch for me and so many other fans.

 

You could tell that he was a one-of-a-kind coach just by listening to guys like Troy Aikman and John Madden gush about him on TV. His blitzes were a huge factor in the Eagles success in the NFC East.

 

And if you are stats geek, you could see it through his defenses always being at the top of the heap in most important categories since the new millennium.

 

For Andy Reid and Johnson’s 10 seasons together from 2000 to the end of last year (where they recorded seven trips to the playoffs, five NFC Championship appearances and one trip to the Super Bowl), the Eagles never really had a dynamic offense aside from Terrell Owens’ one full season with the team in 2004.

 

Sure, they have had a great quarterback in Donovan McNabb to go along with a major threat at running back in Brian Westbrook and the efficient Duce Staley. Other than that, the offense usually consisted of scrappy backs, receivers, tight ends who made plays but co keep them in the game.

uldn’t change the momentum of a game with quick scores like Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson can.

 

Reid was usually able to overcome this with his solid offensive game plans that focused on a heavy dose of the run-and-short passes.

 

However, if the offense was struggling, he did not have to worry, for he always knew that Johnson’s defense would get fumbles and interceptions to keep the Eagles in every game.

 

Johnson would blitz a quarterback from all angles with little fear for giving up a big play, allowing for pretty much every player to have the opportunity to get a sack or two. This would put his linebackers and defensive backs in position to get picks with rushed throws throughout the course of a game.

 

We saw this against the Cowboys in December of 2006, where Johnson’s defense held Tony Romo and the Cowboys to seven points in a crucial Week 16 Christmas Day win at Dallas as the team rumbled into the playoffs.

 

And who can forget about the efforts of Johnson’s squad in last season’s victories over the Steelers and Cowboys in the regular season? Not to mention the postseason wins against the Vikings and Giants in January.

 

Brodrick Bunkley and the rest of the Eagles defense sacked Ben Roethlisberger nine times in their 15-6 win over the now-Super Bowl champion Steelers in Week Three to go along with three turnovers and a safety.

 

The Eagles defensive unit also forced Tony Romo, Tarvaris Jackson, and Eli Manning into crucial interceptions in its three consecutive wins from Week 17 to the NFC Divisional Championship game.

 

In those games, the Cowboys, Vikings, and Giants offenses managed a mere 29 points combined against Johnson’s D.

 

And last but not least, recall how Johnson’s schemes caused fits for the greatest NFL head coach in today’s era, Bill Belichick.

 

Johnson and his squad’s effort against the Patriots in the 2005 Super Bowl (where they held Tom Brady and company to 24 points in a respectable effort) were almost enough to bring the City of Brotherly Love a championship.

 

Two years later Johnson’s defense posed the most hassle for New England during its undefeated regular season, as they held them to 24 points and, at times, flustered Brady in what turned out to be a narrow 31-28 loss at Gillette Stadium in late-November.

 

I am certain that then-Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (who was an assistant for Johnson in Philadelphia) probably benefited a great deal from using the tape of that game to put together his defensive game plan, which played a crucial role in helping the Giants beat the Pats in that year’s infamous Super Bowl.

 

All in all, Johnson’s Eagles were second in the league in sacks with 390 from 2000-08. During that time, the man saw 26 of his players take the trip to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl.

 

It is a shame that such a great coach like Johnson never became an NFL head coach, though less-deserving assistants have gotten jobs in the past.

 

We will never know how great of a head coach he could have been, but based on the level of respect that players seemed to have for Johnson, it seems like he would have been a successful one.

 

And we will see that success in what we like to consider the best mark of a great coach, their coaching tree.

 

Johnson’s tree includes Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Rams head coach Spagnuolo, along with Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

 

Harbaugh has already become a respected coach in the NFL, while Spagnuolo and Rivera are considered top-notch DCs. Frazier is not too far behind them. 

 

Hopefully, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will someday recognize great longtime coordinators and give Johnson a shrine in Canton, as he and fellow DCs Dick LeBeau (who didn’t have much of a shot at winning as a head coach for the Bengals) and Monte Kiffin definitely shouldn’t be left out of football history.

 

It’s not their fault their peak came at a time when owners and GM’s preferred youngsters like Jon Gruden and Mike Tomlin over wise coaching veterans.

 

Thanks for your schemes, Mr. Johnson; they provided me and fellow football fans everywhere with the certainty of an exciting Eagles game every Sunday.

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010