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Hi Folks,
Good Thursday to you. Tons of new content rolling here as we've got another round of brand new Cheatsheet rankings to go with the Detailed Stat Projections from yesterday. Plus, the news and notes you need so let's get to it.
J
Don't settle for outdated cheatsheet rankings. Get them fresh off the press with our Footballguys Expert Rankings.
Calling these out again today as I screwed up the link in yesterday's email. These detailed stat projections are the very foundation of all that we do at Footballguys. See exactly what we think every player that matters will produce on the field this year.
Know where every player is being drafted in leagues around the country with our Average Draft Position (ADP) data. It's must know information.
The same Average Draft Position (ADP) date but this one is based on leagues with Point Per Reception (PPR) scoring.
The Cleveland Browns may decide to name QB Brandon Weeden the starting quarterback before the start of training camp. Head coach Pat Shurmur indicated the quarterback competition is playing out like it did for the St. Louis Rams when they named QB Sam Bradford the starter before the 2010 season.
Footballguys' view: The Browns claim there's a QB competition but it would be an absolute shock if Weeden isn't the starter in week one. He's got a strong arm and is not afraid to throw into double coverage. However, he has problems with poise under pressure and is not mobile enough to elude the rush.
The Chicago Bears recently tried to resume long-term contract talks with franchise free-agent RB Matt Forte but would only do so if Forte signed his franchise tender.
Footballguys' view: This Forte contract situation may last well into training camp. The Bears have holdout insurance as they signed Michael Bush away from the Raiders in free agency. Teams have until July 16th to sign Franchise players to long-term contracts.
Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden has displayed a strong and accurate arm thus far in offseason workouts. Weeden has also shown an instant grasp of the position, its responsibilities on the field and off it.
Footballguys' view: Weeden has a strong arm and is not afraid to throw into coverage. He's a mature QB as he'll turn 29 years old during his rookie season. Weeden has been in a professional atmosphere before as he used to be a minor league baseball player. We'll see if he can play with composure when the plays are live. Weeden is not mobile and has been known to feel pressure when it's not there.
The gap in contract talks between the New Orleans Saints and franchise free-agent QB Drew Brees is far smaller than previously reported. Over the past several months, reports have pegged the Saints' offer at $18 million per year, with Brees' demands north of $21 million. Some accounts have put Brees' expectations at $23 million annually. However, that is not the case, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Brees has never asked for $21 million, and the team is believed to be offering more than $18 million, possibly closer to $19 million than $18 million.
Footballguys' view: No surprise here. A deal will get done before the July 16th deadline to sign Franchise Players to long-term contracts. With all the Saints have been through this offseason the sooner they can get Brees to camp the better.
Tennessee Titans WR Kenny Britt (knee) said he is scheduled to start running and cutting again Thursday, June 7. It will be the first time Britt runs since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
Footballguys' view: Britt had a second procedure on his knee earlier this offseason, so expect the team to be super cautious with him as he comes back. Britt's absence is allowing rookie first-round pick Kendall Wright to show what he can do in camp.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said he has been happy with how RB Doug Martin has performed during organized team activities and sees Martin has some of the abilities that can't be taught. 'You can see he has good vision. That's one of the things you can't teach. You can teach a lot of things, but for me to see daylight over here when I'm looking over there, that's a gift,' Schiano said.
Footballguys' view: Schiano is installing a "back to basics" run heavy offense in Tampa this year. It will feature Doug Martin and he could perform like a solid RB2 in fantasy leagues. Martin reminds many in the scouting community of a little slower version of Ray Rice. He's a good between the tackles runner and is a great option as a receiver out of the backfield. Martin's a full time RB who may not come off the field much in 2012.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin has dealt with a hamstring injury over the last few weeks but has been able fully participate in organized team activities this week.
Footballguys' view: Martin was able to rehab from that early hamstring injury and has been impressing his coaches and teammates at OTAs.
Oakland Raiders WR Denarius Moore could develop into the same type of receiver as Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings. Moore could have the same type of role in Oakland that Jennings has in the Packers' offense. Both receivers have the ability to hit the home run deep downfield but can also nickel-and-dime a defense with underneath routes.
Footballguys' view: Moore is an incredibly talented WR and the sky is the limit for him in 2012. We love his value as WR32 off the board in the late seventh-round of standard 12-team drafts. We think he could perform like a high upside WR2 in fantasy leagues.
New Orleans Saints TE Jimmy Graham feels he can be even better than his breakout season of 2011. 'The little things people don't notice. I see an extra 30 receptions last year that I left on the table,' Graham said.
Footballguys' view: The Saints have had one of the most tumultuous offseason in NFL history. They need guys like Brees and Graham to continue playing at a high level when the season hits. We feel Graham will challenge Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski to be the number one fantasy TE in 2012.
Dallas Cowboys WR Danny Coale (foot) said the goal is for him to be ready for the start of training camp. He said he will stop using crutches in a day or two and will take off the walking boot in seven to 10 days.
Footballguys' view: Coale may be considered the favorite to win the WR3 job behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. However, he's losing valuable practice time and guys like Kevin Ogletree and Dwayne Harris could pass him on the depth chart.
Chicago Bears OT J'Marcus Webb and Chris Williams split reps at left tackle with the first-team offense during organized team activities Wednesday, June 6. They have been splitting reps at the position for the last few weeks.
Footballguys' view: Williams protected Jay Cutler's blind side in college at Vanderbilt, but he's struggled playing outside at the pro level. He's switched inside to play Guard but now he's back outside competing for the Left Tackle position. Webb is gifted athletically for a big man but struggles with playing consistently.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said restricted free-agent WR Mike Wallace will be behind in learning the offense when he reports but is confident he will be able to catch up.
Footballguys' view: Haley knows how to construct a world class passing game and should be able to get the most out of Wallace. His current ADP is at the end of the third-round, and he's coming off the board at WR11. That's too low, making Wallace a nice value pick as he could perform like a top 5 WR in this offense.
The New York Giants have signed head coach Tom Coughlin to a contract extension that will run through the 2014 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Footballguys' view: A well deserved extension for the two time Super Bowl champion. Coughlin is beloved by his team, and his discipline has been key to the Giants championship runs.
Cleveland Browns RB Montario Hardesty may have to play on special teams if he wants to make the final roster because the Browns use their backup running back on special teams.
Footballguys' view: Hardesty's roster spot may be in danger if he can't stay healthy and show value outside of the RB position. He's competing with Brandon Jackson for the primary backup job behind rookie Trent Richardson. Hardesty is talented but injuries and inconsistency have kept him from playing up to his potential.
Chicago Bears WR Devin Hester may not return kicks this upcoming season due to him having an expanded role offensively. The Bears seem intent on implementing a 'Hester package' on offense that could necessitate limiting Hester's special teams workload. 'I think every now and then, I'm going to do kickoffs,' said Hester, who still is expected to handle most punt returns. 'It will depend on how the game is going. If I'm involved in the offense the whole first and second quarters, maybe I'll tell them to cut back on the kickoff returns. If I'm not getting that many touches on offense, of course I'm going to want to get some more touches on kickoff returns. That's how I see things panning out.'
Footballguys' view: The Bears would like to use Hester more as a WR but it's just not a natural fit. We think rookie Alshon Jeffery is likely to outproduce him in terms of catches and receiving yards in 2012. Even Earl Bennett could have better production than Hester this year. The Bears are going to have a very strong passing game, but we can't trust Hester as a WR on our fantasy teams.
The Cleveland Browns were impressed with Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill's size and arm strength during the NFL Draft process; however, his maturity as a quarterback and field leader were so lacking that he turned the Browns off in personal interviews. He didn't project as a leader.
Footballguys' view: The Dolphins felt differently as they selected Tannehill with the 8th overall selection in the first-round. We'll see who has the better career in the years to come. Tannehill is more athletic and poised than Weeden, but doesn't have as strong of an arm.
San Francisco 49ers TE Vernon Davis said that after reaching the NFC Championship Game last season, he's confident the team should be considered Super Bowl favorites this upcoming season. 'I strongly believe we should be the Super Bowl favorites,' Davis said. 'But I can't talk about it because it's all about work. It starts here at practice. I don't want to talk about it and brag and say this and that, because it's not about that. It's about working first. And in the end, you will see where you'll be.'
Footballguys' view: The 49ers kept their defense intact even though there were many free agents on that side of the ball. They still have a world class ground game led by Frank Gore. San Francisco added more weapons around QB Alex Smith in the passing game, and it's now on his shoulders to get them to the Super Bowl.
New Orleans Saints LB Scott Shanle said the NFL has blown the bounty scandal out of proportion and that the league wanted to make an example out of the Saints and discourage any similar pay-for-performance programs. Shanle said the Saints had an incentive program, which included payouts between $500 and $1,000 for big hits and other key plays. 'I never saw any money for injuring somebody exchange hands,' Shanle said.
Footballguys' view: The league obviously disagrees with Shanle's take. Player safety concerns are at an all-time high, and any sort of bounty/incentive program is frowned upon.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and thanks for letting us be a part of your Fantasy Football season. We'll see you tomorrow with the update.
Peace,
J