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Hi Folks,
Good Monday to you. Hope you had a nice weekend. We've got the news and notes you need so let's get to it.
J
LaDainian Tomlinson (Jets), an unrestricted free agent, will sign with the San Diego Chargers Monday, June 18, and announce his retirement from the NFL.
Footballguys' view: Hats off to one of the all time greats. When Tomlinson was in his prime, he was a guy that carried his fantasy teams to Super Bowl Championships with regularity. We wish him all the best in whatever is next for him.
Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur raved about WR Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion, foot) earlier in minicamps, and team president Mike Holmgren also apparently likes what he sees. 'I think he's ready to have a breakout year,' Holmgren said. The president indicated Massaquoi has been bothered by concussions over the past two years, and he was slowed by a foot ailment last summer coming into training camp. It appears Massaquoi is healthy and ready to compete.
Footballguys' view: Massaquoi is not an interesting fantasy prospect because of his lack of elite physical tools. His upside is limited even though Cleveland may be playing from behind a lot in 2012.
San Diego Chargers RB Ryan Mathews is excited about the opportunity to be the team's feature back. 'I can't wait to take the challenge head on. I just really can't wait to get out there and work and show what I can do,' Mathews said. Mathews has focused on improving his ability as a third-down back during the offseason, as he was rarely on the field during third downs due to his struggles in pass protection. Running backs coach Ollie Wilson said Mathews is 'getting there' with his protection, noting he is there from a technique standpoint but the team won't have a real good idea until they put the pads on and are in live settings.
Footballguys' view: We're as excited as Mathews is. Right now, he's sitting at the #6 overall consensus pick among our Footballguys staffers.
The New England Patriots must rely on their running game this season to complement the passing attack. However, it is still very uncertain who will carry the load heading into training camp. RBs Joseph Addai, Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead combine for nine career starts for the Patriots. None have stood out on their own in offseason workouts, and the team might be hoping for strength by committee. 'We're not really focused on who's going to be the guy or anything like that; we're just trying to help each other out and learn together,' Ridley said. 'One person is not going to get it done all the way through the season and we know that, so we have to be able to depend on everybody.'
Footballguys' view: In our opinion Vereen is the most talented RB on the roster. Even though he could be the lead back his fantasy value is going to be cut by the presence of the other backs in New England. Vereen is a lottery pick fantasy player you can add near the end of the 12th round.
Cleveland Browns WR Greg Little was targeted with 121 passes during the team's organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps. TE Benjamin Watson was second on the list, followed by WR Mohamed Massaquoi.
Footballguys' view: If Little plays up to his potential he could have a big season as Brandon Weeden's favorite target. Coming out of college Little's game reminded many scouts of Anquan Boldin because of his run after the catch ability. Little is coming off the board at WR40 and is going in the late 9th round of most 12-team leagues.
New England Patriots FBs Tony Fiammetta and Spencer Larsen will likely be battling for one fullback position in training camp.
Footballguys' view: Larsen is a versatile player who can play on both sides of the ball and should contribute as both a Fullback and a Linebacker. The Fullback position may be used a little more than some think because of the uncertainty at the Running Back position. Even with an increased workload we don't see the position having much fantasy relevance.
Cleveland Browns WR Joshua Cribbs is expected to see heavy duty on special teams this season. The team is hopeful that WRs Joshua Cooper or Jordan Norwood will step up as the third receiver behind WRs Greg Little and Mohamed Massaquoi rather than Cribbs serving as the No. 3 WR.
Footballguys' view: This new, reduced role for Cribbs on offense will limit his low fantasy value. Cribbs has increased value in leagues that reward points for players who get return yards.
Green Bay Packers RB Brandon Saine did well in spot duty last season when called upon, but he still has work to do to become a regular productive player. As it stands, he might only serve as the No. 2 RB until RB Alex Green (knee) is regular for a full-time workload.
Footballguys' view: Saine is a good all-around back, but the Packers don't use their ground game enough to be a huge fantasy factor.
Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews (hamstring) pulled out of practice on the first day of organized team activities (OTAs) due to a twinge in his hamstring, and he did not practice from that point forward as a precaution.
Footballguys' view: Matthews has been bothered by recurring hamstring injuries in the past. We expect the team to monitor this situation closely as he returns from this type of injury yet again.
Green Bay Packers LB Nick Perry will transition from 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 stand-up outside linebacker.
Footballguys' view: Perry has a good first step and does a good job of anticipating the snap count. He's also big enough to bull rush blockers from time to time. Perry's ability to transition will determine how much the Packers use him in coverage.
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