Fantasy Football Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

While some would like to attribute the Cincinnati Bengals 4-11-1 season last year to the loss of Carson Palmer for three-quarters of the season, the problems ran deeper than that.

In fact, Palmer, who had thrown for over 4,000 yards and 25-plus TDs in both 2006 and 2007, was 0-4 in the four games he played in—not quite an endorsement that the team would have fared better with him under center rather than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Heck, even Peyton Manning may have had a hard time getting the Bengals’ passing game going in 2008.

So, what turned the seventh-best aerial attack in 2007 into the third-worst in 2008?

Two main factors contributed to the passing game’s demise: The first being the play of Chad Ochocinco. Following six straight seasons of at least 1,100 yards, Ochocinco amassed just 540 receiving yards in 2008. Looking less explosive than in prior years, the wide out’s biggest accomplishment all of last season actually took place off the field as he was able to legally change his name from “Chad Johnson” to “Chad Ochocinco.”

The second reason the Bengals passing game was unable to get off the ground was due to their lack of a ground game. Prior to the season, the Bengals released running back, Rudi Johnson, feeling confident that Chris Perry and Kenny Watson could shoulder the load. Unfortunately, the Bengals were mistaken as the two amassed just a combined 324 rushing yards on the year.

In fact, their play was so bad that the Bengals reached out to oft-troubled running back Cedric Benson, who totaled 747 yards and two TDs on 214 carries; however, even Benson’s efforts couldn’t keep opposing defenses honest, as they continued to focus on shutting down the Bengals’ one true play maker, TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Thus, despite the improved play of the Bengals’ defense, which finished 12th in the league, its best performance since 2001, 2008 ended up being a wasted year for Cincy.

KEY ADDITIONS

Laveranues Coles (WR)—There’s no doubt that the Bengals are going to miss TJ Houshmandzadeh (see below), but bringing in Coles softens the blow just a tad. No longer the deep threat he once was, Coles will use his toughness to run the underneath routes in the Bengals offense.

Coles had a solid 2008 with 850 yards and seven TDs and could better those numbers in 2009, playing with Palmer, especially if Ochocinco doesn’t play like “Ouchostinko!”

KEY DEPARTURES

TJ Houshmandzadeh (WR)—Housh has been the workhorse for the Bengals at the wide receiver position the last three years, racking up 90+ receptions each season. Following two consecutive 1,000 yard and nine-plus TD years in 2006 and 2007, Housh’s stats took a hit in 2008 as the Bengals’ passing game went south. Still, he managed to grab 92 receptions for 904 yards and four TDs. No doubt, Palmer will miss his favorite target.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Andre Smith (OT)—Following a year in which they allowed the third-most sacks of any team in the NFL and averaged the third worst yardage per carry among all NFL teams, it didn’t exactly take rocket science for the Bengals to figure out they needed to shore up their offensive line this off-season.

Thus, with the sixth overall pick of the draft, the Bengals took Andre Smith, a devastating tackle out of Alabama; however, like with nearly of all of the Bengals personnel, Smith comes with some character flaws, including a questionable work ethic.

If Smith keeps his act together, he should be an anchor to the Bengals o-line for some time; however, if he can’t, the Bengals will see this selection blow up in their faces.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Carson Palmer (QB)—Palmer is a huge risk/reward option for 2009. Not only will fantasy owners have to worry about how he will bounce back from last season’s elbow injury (and subsequent surgery), but there will also be concern regarding his options at wide receiver, with Housh bolting for Seattle.

Still, with Palmer going for over 3,800 yards and at least 26 TDs in each of the three seasons prior to last, he could make for an excellent value pick.

Cedric Benson (RB)—The Bengals provided Benson with the second chance he so desperately needed following his release from the Chicago Bears due to a BUI and DUI. Benson took advantage, playing well enough—especially in the last two games of the season, in which he totaled 182 rushing yards—to secure the starting spot for 2009. Consider him a RB3 option for your fantasy draft.

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2009 Fantasy Football: One Man Mock Draft (Round 1)

It’s never too early to participate in some fantasy football mock drafts. If you’re serious about being a contender, you should partake in a few mock drafts before your actual draft. Bruno Boys Jimbo recently conducted his own one-man mock draft and each week he’ll post a round from the draft.

To conduct this fantasy football mock draft the following criteria was used: 10-team league, standard scoring (4 points for QB TDs, 6 points for all other TDs, 1 point for every 10 rushing/receiving yards, 1 for every 25 passing yards, -2 points for all turnovers, 1 point for sacks, 2 points for INTs.)

 

ROUND 1 MOCK DRAFT RESULTS

1.01: RB Adrian Peterson (Min) – The likely acquisition of Brett Favre makes AP a stone-cold lock to be the first overall pick in all drafts. Even if Favre doesn’t sign, he’s still the top choice.

1.02: RB Matt Forte (Chi) – The Chicago Bears’ offense goes where Matt Forte goes. With Jay Cutler now at QB, it should keep defenses honest enough to let Forte have similar success as his breakout rookie campaign

1.03: RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX) – MJD is in a similar situation as Forte. With the departure of Fred Taylor, MJD is the cornerstone of this offense and should see plenty of carries and receptions.

1.04: RB Michael Turner (ATL) – Turner the Burner doesn’t look to slow down in ’09. The potent passing attack should keep defenses spread out, and while Turner isn’t likely to duplicate his 2008 totals, he’s still in line for a great season.

1.05: RB Chris Johnson (TEN) – With a year under his belt, Chris Johnson is ready to take on more of the workload in 2009. Although Lendale White is still there to vulture some TDs, Johnson should find the endzone more this season and still rack up all the yards.

1.06: RB Steven Jackson (STL) – If Steven Jackson can stay healthy; the sky is the limit for this workhorse. The St. Louis Rams are going to try to win with Jackson, as he has no handcuff or RBBC, so he will be the focal point of this offense.

1.07: RB Frank Gore (SF) – The San Francisco 49ers want to run the ball more and they want to put it in Frank Gore’s hands as much as they can. Although rookie RB Glen Coffee may see some action, there’s no doubt this is Gore’s team.

1.08: WR Larry Fitzgerald (ARZ) – The only WR worth taking in the first round is Larry Fitzgerald. After such a fantastic 2008 season, the only thing to watch for is the health of Kurt Warner, but these two should be connecting all day long on many Sundays in 2009.

1.09: RB DeAngelo Williams (CAR) – Being the top fantasy football RB in 2008 merits some consideration to be a first-round pick the following season, but with Jonathan Stewart right behind him on the depth chart, be prepared to see a near 50-50 split with your RB1.

1.10: RB Brian Westbrook (PHI) – The Philadelphia Eagles drafted LeSean McCoy to add some depth at RB, but Brian Westbrook is still the top RB in this offense. If he can stay healthy (BIG IF), he should post the same strong numbers that he’s capable of.

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Fantasy Football Notes: Chicago Bears

Just two years removed from being named NFC Champions, the 2008 Chicago Bears looked forward to leaving a disappointing 7-9 record behind them. At the start of the season, it appeared they were ready to do just that, upsetting the mighty Indianapolis Colts in a Super Bowl XLI rematch.

The addition of rookie Matt Forte’s powerful running style and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, along with a (surprisingly) solid performance by quarterback Kyle Orton, gave Chicago’s offense a new identity. Paired with what seemed to be the resurgence of one of the league’s best defenses, Chicago fans held hope that 2007 was a fluke and the Bears would be in Tampa Bay come February.

Unfortunately, a good start and a few bright spots wasn’t enough. The Bears finished the year with an uninspired 9-7 record, failing to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Inconsistencies on both sides had analysts wondering which Bears team was going to show up each week—the Bears that defeated the Philadelphia Eagles with an impressive goal line stand in Week 4, or the team that let the Atlanta Falcons steal a win in week 6, with 11 seconds left in the 4th?

The good news for Chicago fans is that despite the up-and-down 2008 season, there are lots of things to be excited about in 2009.

KEY ADDITIONS

Jay Cutler (QB)—It’s not every day a young Pro Bowl quarterback with a rocket for an arm ends up on the market. Thanks to some questionable decisions by Denver Broncos first year head coach Josh McDaniels, that’s just what happened, landing the Bears their franchise quarterback for the next decade.

Cutler threw for 4,526 yards, 25 TD and 18 interceptions in 2008, and if not for a 28th ranked defense (allowing an average of 25.6 points per game) could have taken his team a lot further that season. Expect some growing pains at the start of 2009; Cutler still needs get fully acclimated to the new offense, and lacks the kind of wide receivers he had in Denver. 

KEY DEPARTURES

Mike Brown (S)—Primarily due to leg injuries which caused Brown to miss 44 games over the last 5 seasons, the Bears made the difficult decision not to re-sign the veteran safety.

The franchise’s all-time leader in defensive touchdowns, and one of the most popular players in the team’s history, Brown registered 629 tackles, five sacks, and 17 interceptions over his 9 seasons with the Bears.

What can’t be quantified—and what the coaches, players, and fans will no doubt miss most—is the leadership and the passion he brought to the field. It’s hard to say whether Josh Bullocks will be able to fill that void.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Jarron Gilbert (DL)—Anyone who’s seen the video of Jarron jumping out of a pool can attest to his great strength and athleticism. Let’s be honest—it was pretty sick.

The Bears didn’t draft him to perform pool tricks, though. Selected in the third round, this 6’5″ 288-lb. defensive lineman from San Jose State is expected to help strengthen the interior line.

Gilbert has the potential to be great; however, some question his work ethic. Still, no one can question his senior year at San Jose, recording 52 tackles, leading the nation with 22 stops for losses of 116 yards, and ranking second in the league with 9.5 sacks. His talents should help keep Chicago in the top tier of defenses, and he is definitely someone you’ll want to keep an eye on in IDP fantasy football leagues.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Matt Forte (RB)—If it weren’t for Matt Ryan and Chris Johnson, Matt Forte would have been a lock for rookie of the year.

Going into the draft, some experts considered him more suited as a fullback. Forte quickly proved them all wrong, rushing for 1238 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, while netting 477 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He led all running backs with 63 receptions.

With the recent addition of Jay Cutler, Forte’s numbers should get even better making a very strong case for drafting him No. 1 overall in your fantasy football draft. 

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Buffalo Bills: Fantasy Football Notes

The Buffalo Bills finished the season last year 7-9, which happened to be the exact same record they had in 2007. However, after notching a 5-1 start, the 7-9 record posted in 2008 can be seen as nothing other than a disappointment.

This year, it will be tougher for Buffalo to get off to a fast start as star running back Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season.

Lynch struggled to break out last season as he compiled 1,036 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games, which is a step in the wrong direction seeing as he missed three games in his rookie year but still netted 80 more yards rushing.

Fred Jackson did a nice job complementing Lynch a year ago, rushing for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In 2009, though, with Lynch set to miss time early, Jackson will be asked to shoulder the load early, along with newly signed veteran running back Dominic Rhodes.

Quarterback, Trent Edwards, did well in the beginning of the year in 2008, but struggled late with his completion percentage dropping

Injuries might have affected his game.

Edwards ended the season with 2,699 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 1,725 of those yards came in the first 8 games of the season (including the Arizona game in which he attempted just 3 passes).

As the season prolonged Edwards went on to play in only three of the team’s final five games due to injury and never exceeded 200 yards in any of those games.

Finally, wide receiver Lee Evans barely got over 1,000 yards on the season, finishing with 1,017 yards on 63 catches and 3 touchdowns.

The next highest yardage total for a receiver on the Bills’ roster was Josh Reed with 597, one of the reasons the team decided to give Terrell Owens his umpteenth chance.

 

KEY ADDITIONS

Terrell Owens (WR)—Owens comes from Dallas, where he has recently seen his numbers drop from his career averages, only totaling 1,052 yards in 2008.

One area, though, that he will no doubt help the Bills with is the red zone, where he totaled 10 touchdowns a year ago and 139 touchdowns in his 13 seasons in the NFL.

Owens tends to be on his best behavior in the first year with a new team, which means we may see one last push of the T.O. of old, especially since he has just a one-year contract.

Owens will open things up for the running game and will give quarterback Trent Edwards another reliable target to go along with Lee Evans. His mere presence should help out a Bills offense that took a step back in the second half of 2008.

Dominic Rhodes (RB)—Rhodes still has talent. as evidence by his production as a Colt last season, but he simply is not the player he once was in Indianapolis. 

He seems to have lost a step and will struggle to play a key role with the Bills. 

Rhodes should serve as an adequate complimentary back to Fred Jackson while Marshawn Lynch serves his three game suspension, but he will not steal many carries from the duo of Lynch and Jackson that worked very well a year ago.

 

KEY DEPARTURES

Derrick Dockery & Jason Peters (OL)—Dockery did not quite live up to the contract the Bills gave him a year ago, leading Buffalo to part ways with the lineman. The Bills, then, traded two time Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters right before the draft as they couldn’t come to terms on a long-term contract.

While the Bills did get linemen, Eric Wood and Andrew Levitre, in the draft, it will be hard for them to replace Dockery and Peters right away. The Bills’ offensive line was never a big time strength and with the loss of these two linemen, it may struggle early on.

 

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Marshawn Lynch (RB)—After rushing for 1,115 yards and 7 touchdowns in 13 games during his rookie year, many people expected Lynch to exceed those numbers in his sophomore campaign. Lynch struggled, though, as he rushed for just 1,036 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding another 186 receiving yards in 15 games in 2008.

Totaling over 100 yards just three times, Lynch could never quite get into a rhythm. A problem that may plague him again in 2009 as he will be forced to miss the first three games of the year for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Add to that the fact that the Bills’ offensive line lost two key parts in Derrick Dockery and Jason Peters, and Lynch becomes a high-risk pick.

However, if you can get through the first three weeks of the season without him, then you may be able to get him at a cheaper price and reap the rewards for the rest of the season.     

 

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Aaron Maybin (DE)—Maybin, a defensive end out of Penn State, is a solid edge rusher who can put pressure on opposing offenses. He has great athleticism and a strong burst when closing in on a hit. If he can translate his skills into the NFL, he could turn things around for the Bills defense, which has been less than stellar over the past few seasons. With only 24 sacks in 16 games, this team was in desperate need of a player who can get to the quarterback, and in Maybin, they have found that.

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Fantasy Football Notes: Baltimore Ravens

Coming off a very disappointing 2007 season in which the Baltimore Ravens finished with a 5-11 record, the team fired long time head coach Brian Billick and hired John Harbaugh as head coach, with hopes of returning to the upper echelon of the AFC.

This was going to be a tough task for a rookie head coach. The Ravens already had their struggles in the passing game and starting quarterback Steve McNair retired in the offseason, leaving a gaping hole at quarterback.

To make things worse, veteran quarterback Kyle Boller suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Second-year man Troy Smith also came down with a bad virus, leaving rookie quarterback Joe Flacco as the team’s opening day starter.

Backed by the solid running of Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee, who combined for 1,573 yards and 17 touchdowns, veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason, who had 80 catches for 1,037 yards with five touchdowns, and a top-three defense, Flacco held on to the starting job all season.

He helped lead the Ravens to an 11-5 record, which was good enough for second place in the AFC North and a wild card playoff birth. The Ravens went on to win two playoff games losing in the AFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

KEY ADDITIONS

Matt Birk (C)—In a continued effort to improve their offense and protect their young quarterback, the Ravens signed 11-year veteran center Matt Birk. He has played his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings and is a six-time Pro Bowler. Birk has started 123 games in his career and will bring toughness and leadership to the Ravens offense.

L.J. Smith (TE)—Baltimore signed tight end L.J. Smith to a one-year deal. Smith is a six-year veteran and has played his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was a special teams and defensive backs coach from 1998-2007. Smith had 37 catches for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns in an injury-plagued 2008 season. His best years were in 2005 and 2006 in which he topped 50 catches and 600 yards per season.

KEY DEPARTURES

Rex Ryan (Defensive Coordinator)—Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the new head coach of the New York Jets. He was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore off and on since 1999.

During his tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens have had one of the best defenses in all of football. After being let go along with former head coach Brian Billick and the rest of his staff following the 2007 season, Ryan was one of the finalists for the Ravens head coaching job. He lost out to current head coach John Harbaugh, who turned around and rehired Ryan as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach.

Bart Scott (ILB)—Inside linebacker Bart Scott followed defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to New York and singed with the Jets. Scott, who was signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002 out of Southern Illinois, was a Pro Bowler in 2006 and was one of the leaders of the Ravens defense.

Scott had 82 tackles with 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2008. In his career with the Ravens, he had 433 total tackles with 16 sacks and three interceptions.

 

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Michael Oher (OT)—With many experts expecting the Ravens to select a wide receiver or a defensive player to help an aging defense, Baltimore traded up to the No. 23 spot in the draft to select University of Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher.

Rated by many draft experts as the fourth best tackle prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft, Oher could battle for one of the starting offensive tackle positions as a rookie and could even play guard if needed.

The 6’4” 309 pound Oher could be a staple on the Ravens’ offensive line for the next 10 years and should not only help open up holes in the running game, but he should help give second-year quarterback Joe Flacco some much needed time in the passing game.

 

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Joe Flacco (QB)—Joe Flacco enters his second season in the NFL with 16 starts under his belt. Not only did he get valuable experience in the regular season as a rookie, he also became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.

Flacco entered 2008 as a long shot to be the Ravens starting quarterback, but he was able to take advantage of his opportunities. When he got his shot at the starting job, he never let go of it.

As a rookie first-round pick from the University of Delaware, Flacco threw for 2,971 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 60 percent of his passes and had a 80.3 quarterback rating as a rookie.

With a year of experience under his belt, a solid running game and an improved offensive line Flacco should take another step forward in 2009 and become a solid fantasy football contributor in leagues that use two quarterbacks. 

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Fantasy Football Notes: Atlanta Falcons

Fantasy Football Notes: Arizona Cardinals

AFC East: Fantasy Football Roundtable

Under the Radar Fantasy Football Quarterbacks

Looking for sleepers in your draft come August?  Bruno Boys Greg will analyze who he feels should have a strong fantasy football showing in 2009. Throughout the course of two weeks Bruno Boys Greg will give you his position by position sleeper picks.  This week, he covers the quarterback position.

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Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: The All-Pro quarterback who only played in four games last year has no reason not to bounce back in 2009. Many people will rank him lower then he belongs due to injury concerns and the changes in Cincinnati but don’t pay any attention to that.  Palmer averaged nearly 4,000 yards the previous three seasons before being hurt and is just a year removed from being a top five fantasy football quarterback.  He did lose T.J. Housmandzadeh to free agency but gained veteran wide receiver Lavernaus Coles.   Odds are you will be targeting Palmer in the sixth or seventh round and drafting him as a low-end QB1, but if he can regain his form he will produce at the level of the top tier QB’s.

 

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle Seahawks: Hasselbeck returns from an injury as well and gains Palmer’s former teammate, Housmandzadeh.  He has a lot left in his game and is still a starting quarterback in fantasy football. Reports out of Seattle indicate that Hasselbeck will operate at 100 percent this season and playing in a division that lacks defense he should be able to regain his form.  You should consider targeting Hasselbeck as a QB2 in all leagues and hope he stays healthy because there will be some weeks when he will produce like the good ‘ole days. Expect him to rebound in a big way in ’09.

Brady Quinn, QB, Cleveland Browns: Quinn struggled with injuries last year after taking over for 2007 Pro Bowler Derek Anderson.  While it is an open competition in Browns training camp, Quinn will likely grab the starting job.  The offense isn’t much different than the the one Anderson had success with two seasons ago (minus Kellen Winslow) and Quinn is a lot more talented of a player.  While you need to draft him as a backup, he could prove to be valuable, possibly providing a nice spot start for you.  If given the right match-up, Quinn could really put up some big numbers and and help take your fantasy football team to the promise land.

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Fantasy Football: 5 Things I Learned in June

With June coming to an end, Bruno Boys Dominic takes a look at five things he learned throughout the month, so join him as he covers everything from Chad Ochocinco’s rejuvenation to the naming of RBBCs.

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1. Ocho Cinco is still muy funny   

I’ll admit, I didn’t think Chad would ever return to my good graces after the last couple of seasons of whining and under-producing.

However, it seems the 31-year-old wide receiver has helped himself to a slice or two of humble pie in the offseason, giving him new perspective (if anyone knows the cook, send a few slices to Brandon Marshall please).

Now, a new and improved Ocho Cinco is poised to rejoin the ranks of the fantasy relevant. And, as always, he’s done so in style. First, he told the world he was going to live with Carson Palmer and his family for a couple of weeks to develop a closer relationship with the QB—a gesture quickly shot down by Palmer’s wife.

Then, Johnson delighted us again with his flair for the dramatic by proclaiming he wanted to beat the Nutrisystem out of Mike Golic for making negative comments about him.

Of course, what’s important about all of this is not that Chad is cracking me up again (though it certainly doesn’t hurt). Rather, it’s that he appears to be 100% dedicated to returning to his status as one of the league’s most productive receivers. That makes him a prime candidate for a huge year, and someone you should definitely target in your upcoming draft.

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2. Roger Goodell has his own laws

He’s set a precedent, I’ll give him that. In fact, anytime I hear about one of my fantasy players going to meet with the commish, I cringe.

Goodell’s made it crystal clear that he won’t stand for any action made by a coach, team, or player which reflects negatively on the league. Donte Stallworth’s DUI manslaughter sentence appalled most of us—and, when compared with Michael Vick’s, it seems like US law cares more about dogs than jaywalkers.

However, Goodell handed out his own justice, suspending Stallworth indefinitely and sending him a strongly worded letter that pretty much said, “I don’t care what punishment the courts give you, it will not fly in the NFL.”

Fantasy-wise, Stallworth is fairly useless this season—or was he already? Regardless, if your players are set for trial or have a tendency to commit small- to mid-range felonies in their spare time, make sure you snag their backup, or avoid them altogether.

When drafting future players, keep a keen eye on their history and character issues, as Goodell isn’t going anywhere, and neither is your fantasy player if they can’t keep out of trouble.

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3. Never make a fantasy football trade at a wedding with an open bar

Do I really need to elaborate on this one?

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4. For some reason, people love to name RBBCs
 
“Earth, Wind, and Fire”. “Smash and Dash”. And, most recently voted in by Raider’s fans, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”. It seems that if a team has more than one back running the ball successfully, the committee is bound to get a name.

However, like identical twins whose parents tragically dress them in the same clothes, some players crave individuality and don’t want a name that is linked with someone else.

Whether or not Chris Johnson will suffer the shared glory of Smash and Dash is not the point—what matters in the world of fantasy is that if they’ve earned a name, it usually means you want all of them on your roster.

Unless of course, they’ve earned a name that’s not so flattering (like my running back team last season—”Battered, Bruised and Broken”).

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5. If you trade for Brandon Marshal, buy your antacids in bulk

When I realized an owner in my fantasy keeper league was clearly fed up with Brandon Marshall and his off the field issues, I made my move. He agreed to give me Marshall for a mere 3rd round pick in our upcoming draft. That’s not bad for arguably one of the top ten receivers in the league.

Unfortunately, he also carries enough baggage to keep La Guardia airport busy for days. So, I admit it—there’s a risk, not to mention a possible 2-3 game suspension. It’s a keeper league though, no biggie. And, call me stupid, but I held high hopes that he would mature into the man he claims he wants to be and stop getting into fights with his lady friends.

Of course, days after I traded for him, he decided to use the leverage he had (none) to demand more money. Soon after that, the trade request came in.

For an instant, I was excited at his possible new destinations, until logic sunk in. Not only was he probably not going anywhere, his antics may have harmed his relationship between him and his QB and coach. The lesson: trading for troubled studs can be a great investment, but remember that the investment can go both ways.

In other words, if you take a diva, you get a diva.

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