How does the NFL lockout impact the draft?

The NFL lockout ended yesterday by a court ordered injunction.  Doors are open for players to return to work this morning, but this does not mean that business is back to usual.  The collective bargaining agreement expired so the teams and players are operating without any rules. 

What happens with free agency?  How will rookie contracts be structured?   

This Thursday the NFL will begin its annual selection of rookies while they appeal Judge Nelson’s decision to end the lockout in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.  They are seeking a stay of execution during the appeals.  Basically they are hoping that the judge will postpone the lift of the lockout until a decision is made in appeals court.

In the meantime, the 2011 NFL Draft will go on as planned.  I think that the Carolina Panthers will make Cam Newton the first overall pick of the 2011.  However, I am more curious about what this draft would look like if the lockout had been lifted earlier.  

With a talented, 26-year old quarterback like Kevin Kolb on the market to be traded would a team give up a first round pick to get Kolb?  If a team lands a veteran like Ochocinco, would they feel the need to use an early pick on a wide receiver?

What do you think?

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

The NFL’s best wide receivers are in Texas, Not Ohio

Yesterday we looked at running backs to draft on a fantasy team.  Today, we will explore wide receivers.  Remember, this is not about the team’s record, but the performance of the player.  Look at the player’s ability and the potential he has to get a lot of time and passes thrown his way.

Silent assassin – Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) is a phenomenal athlete.  His height and speed make it difficult for cornerbacks and safeties to cover him.  You may not have heard of him, but you should get familiar with him.  You will not see him talk smack on headline news or on the sideline, but he gets the job done.  If he were on a better team, he certainly would be a pro bowler and household name.  The Lions do not have a strong running game, so you can expect that they will pass a lot.  Johnson can score major points for your team.

Old faithfuls – Randy Moss (New England Patriots) and Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) are veteran wide receivers on good teams.  Randy is definitely more talented than Reggie, but they both put up over 1,200 receiving yards last season.  They have good chemistry with their quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning respectively.  Enough said.

Good, but questionable – Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) is a great receiver.  After two consecutive years of over 1,400 receiving yards, he only had 1,092 yards last season.  He sprained his knee a couple of weeks ago and it has not been confirmed whether he will be able to play at the start of the regular season. 

Nasty Nati Boys – Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are both in Cincinnati now giving Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer two strong options.  Ochocinco is still the #1 receiver in Cincinnati.  With Antonio Bryant out of the way (he was released over the weekend), there is no question that T.O. is going to get a lot of time.  T.O. did not get a job until training camp, so I think that he will want to show the other 31 teams that he is still good and can make any team better.

Lone Star Superstars – Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys) and Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) are the top receivers on their teams.  Miles had a very impressive season last year and looks to build on that this year.  Andre is the highest paid receiver in the NFL.   In the past two seasons he has accumulated close to 1,600 receiving yards.  This is the reason that the Texans ensured that he was going to stay in Houston.  You should consider applying the same reasoning to your team.

OK, it’s going down on Monday.  Heels & Helmets Fantasy Football League Draft on September 6 online at noon!  Who will you pick?

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

Building a fantasy football team: Quarterbacks

The office chatter about fantasy football has already started.  Which fantasy league are you in?  When is your draft?  Ochocinco may not get a lot of points with T.O. in town.  In some cases you will hear more about fantasy football than real NFL games.  What’s all the hype about? 

Fantasy football allows a lot of football fans to have their ultimate fantasy job – own, manage and coach a professional football team.   Just like a NFL general manager, you get to draft the players that you want and trade them throughout the season.  You also get to put on your coaches hat and select your starters each week. 

Most fantasy football leagues are set up so you draft a quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receiver, kicker and one team’s defense.  Some leagues use individual defense players (IDPs) instead of team defenses.  Scoring is based on how your players perform in their actual games.  You will get points when one of your players completes a positive action such as scoring a touchdown or sacking.  You will lose points when a player does something negative like throws an interception.  (See the complete list of scoring opportunities.)  In the Heels & Helmets fantasy football league on NFL.com, the team rosters will include: 1 Quarterback; 2 Running Backs; 3 Wide Receivers; 1 Tight End; 1 Kicker; 1 Defensive Team; and 6 Bench players.  We are using the NFL managed scoring setting.   

When drafting players for your fantasy football team, do not base it on how well you think a team will perform.  Review individual statistics and consider how much playing time a player is anticipated to have this season.  Watching preseason games will give you an idea of who the top players are and how they are performing.  It also gives you a glimpse at the depth each team has because you will see second and third string players play.  To put this into practice, let’s look at some options at the quarterback position.

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) and Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) are at the top of the league.  They have strong passing options in Marques Colston and Reggie Wayne respectively, that they are comfortable with.  They also are leading offenses that they know well.  I will give an edge to Brees because Peyton had neck surgery during the offseason, but either one of these guys are good picks for your team.

Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) is back.  Seriously.  He played in the preseason game yesterday, so forget the rumors.  It was a rough start for the super veteran, but he knows the game.  While he has appeared a little indecisive the last few years, no one questions how tough if he is.  He will take the majority of the snaps for the Vikings and this gives him plenty of opportunities to pass to his star young receiver, Percy Harvin or hand off to Adrian Peterson, running back and 3-time pro bowler.

Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) is healthy, but due to his suspension he will not play in the first six regular season games.  You do not want a guy who will miss out on almost half of the regular season as your starting quarterback.  Big Ben is a good option to have on your team later in the season.  Consider drafting him and putting him on the bench.  Just be mindful that he no longer has Santonio Holmes as a receiving threat. 

This brings me to the young New York Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez.  In his rookie year, he led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game.  He is young and still learning, but he has a solid offense with experienced players like Holmes, Braylon Edwards and LaDainian Tomlinson.  Therefore, he doesn’t have to be great to be a superstar and get points for your team.

Here are a few other quarterback situations to watch in the preseason as you prepare for your fantasy draft: Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) is not on a good team, but Calvin Johnson is one of the leagues top receivers; Tom Brady (New England Patriots) is past his knee and fingers problems; Eli Manning (New York Giants) suffered a head injury in the Giants preseason game against the Jets last week; Donovan McNabb (Washington Redskins) is still adjusting to a new offensive line and receivers; and Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) now has the dynamic receiving duo, Ochocinco and T.O.

Tonight in preseason action, the Arizona Cardinals will play the Tennessee Titans at LP Stadium at 8 p.m.  Catch some of the game on ESPN and see how quarterbacks Matt Leinart (Arizona) and Vince Young (Tennessee) perform.  Will they show you something to make you want to draft them? 

Heels & Helmets Fantasy Football League Draft on September 6 online at noon!  Who will you pick?

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

“The Answer” for T.O.

Terrell Owens (T.O.) is a free agent still looking for a job in the NFL.  The 6-Time Pro Bowler known for his “excessive celebrations” is watching everyone else start training camp while he tries to get a NFL contract.  One of his most memorable celebrations happened during a Monday Night Football game when he was with the San Francisco 49ers.  After a 61-yard touchdown pass, he pointed to his wristband with the words, “The Answer” inscribed on it.  He did it because, in his own words, “I am the answer.”  Seven years later and after stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, T.O. is trying to get “an answer” to join someone’s locker room.

I have “the answer” for T.O.

T.O. is without a job because of his unrealistic view of his value, not his skill set.  Despite what people say about his last season with the Bills, he still had over 800 receiving yards, which could help several teams.  However, this does not put him in the category of the top 10 receivers who acquired over 1150 yards last season.  Hines Ward and Randy Moss both have just two years less experience than Owens and they earned 1167 and 1264 yards respectively.  They are “the answers.”

Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, are trying to negotiate a deal as if T.O. is “the answer” that a team can count on to put up 1300 yards plus in one season.  To get T.O. on a team, they will have to lower their salary demands and expectations that he be the #1 receiver.  Teams are not going to pay $5 million for a 36 year-old veteran to come off the bench and jeopardize the game with a 15-yard penalty for “excessive celebration.”  This is not “the answer.”

Secondly, T.O. has to understand his role as a veteran.  Teams pay veterans not just for what they do on the field, but the leadership that they provide in the locker room.  T.O. has a reputation for being disruptive in the locker room and blasting teammates to the media.  He called Jeff Garcia a homosexual, implied that Donovan McNabb was lazy, and said that Tony Romo was distracted by his girlfriend.  This would be tolerated if he was going to bring in 1400 receiving yards, but owners do not want to deal with a cancerous player in the locker room for half of that production.  That’s not “the answer” to building camaraderie on the team. 

T.O. will get a job because he is still a decent receiver.  He works hard and keeps himself in great shape.  Mike Brown, the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals has left the door open for him to join his good friend, Chad Ochocino, in “The Nasty Nati.”  If he does not reach an agreement with the Bengals, we will see T.O. sign with a contract after training camp with a team who is desperate to fill in the gap for an injured player or rookie who needs more time to develop.   Either way, it will not be on his terms.

T.O. is no longer “the answer.”  He is an option.

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets