2011 NFL Fantasy Football Team

Yep, it’s that time of the year again and with the knowledge that there actually will be an NFL season this year means the NFL Fantasy Leagues are on. Just running with 2 teams this year and will be “showing off” my auction league team (drafted it half asleep so it’s not that good).

Quarterback – Tom Brady (NE)

Last year Brady came back from injury and put up a MVP-winning performance, ending all doubt that Brady couldn’t bounce back. And he did it with receiver core that was basically brand new with Moss underperforming and eventually traded from the team. Now with a core of his favorites Wes Welker and Deion Branch and the potential comeback season of Chad Ochocinco, things are looking good in New England. (I spent $46/$200 for Brady)

Backups – Josh Freeman (TB) & Kyle Orton (DEN)

Running Back – Arian Foster (HOU)

OK, Arian Foster came into the league 2 years ago as an UNSIGNED FREE AGENT. But last year he was the suprise pick to put up All-Star RB numbers and jumped himself as a potential #1 pick for fantasy. I ended up with the decision who I should throw my money at Foster or Adrian Peterson and I betting a lot of money that it will be Foster. He was last year’s rushing yard leader with 1,616 rushing yards. This is also a pressure year for many of Texans players with the need to make the playoffs especially taking the ever-difficult AFC South. Let’s see if Foster can put up repeat numbers in a pressure season. (I spent $76/$200 for Foster)

Backups – Jonathan Stewart (CAR), Brandon Jacobs (NYG), Darren Sproles (NO)

Wide Receivers – Mike Thomas (JAK) & Lee Evans (BAL)

First off I blew so much money on Brady and Foster that the rest of my team is made of sleepers and potential diamonds in the rough. That being said, first up is Mike Thomas. Thomas is the poor man’s Wes Welker, meaning he’s David Garrad’s reliable receiver. He won’t put up big numbers, but he’s consistant and sometimes that’s what you end up needing in fantasy. His other option is Jason Hill whose never stepped his game to the next level and with Sims-Walker gone now expect Thomas’s receptions to go up even further. (I spent $5/$200 for Thomas)

Another risky WR is Lee Evans who takes his game to a new team with the Ravens this year, who traded away veteran Mason so Evans is now their #2 go to guy. His last good season was back in 2008, but the struggling Bills aways in the way of him being really good. This is Evans’ make it or break it year without any potential of getting upsurped by another player since the Raven’s don’t really have anyone else besides Evans and Anquan Boldin. (I spent $3/$200 for Evans)

Backups -

• Mike Williams (SEA)
• Mike Sims-Walker (STL)
• Steve Breaston (KC)

Tight End – Antonio Gates (SD)

Last year my TE was Brent Celek who even Michael Vick didn’t even throw to that much, this year is a huge upgrade by getting the best, Antonio Gates. The dude is one of the few TE’s in the league that is a major part of the offense. It doesn’t matter if  who the new members of the offense are, Rivers will throw to Gates and Vincent Jackson. And is more likely to throw to Gates in the end zone in short yardage situations than go throw Tolbert or Matthews. (I spent $16/$200 for Gates)

Backup – Dustin Keller (NYJ)

Kicker – Garrett Hartley (NO)

I swap kickers like no tomorrow during the season so let’s see how long Hartley will last on my lineup. But it came down in my mind between him and Rob Bironas and I’m going with the Saints having the more likelihood of making TD’s and Hartley getting the extra points. (I spent $1/$200 for Hartley)

Defense – New Orleans Saints

I was gunning for the Ravens defense, but waited around for too long and had to settle for the Saints who were the best at the time. Nothing really wrong with the Saints D though, really strong corners and such. Should work going into Week 1 and see what happens from there. (I spent $1/$200 for the Saints)

Other thoughts…

• I spent way too much for Josh Freeman, but I do have him locked up as a trading piece and have basically declared Orton as my bye QB
• No sugar-coating it my WRs suck and I’m probably package Freeman and Keller to pick up someone decent
• One other Defense I’m eyeballing based on preseason performance are the Cowboys who are a lot better this year

 

2011 NFL Free Agency Frenzy

Maybe it’s because of the lockout or maybe it’s because of this year’s draft but the NFL has entered a Free Agency frenzy and almost every team is doing tons of transaction moves every day since it became allowed last Friday. Today’s post is to help you get up to speed with all the moves the general managers have been pulling off and see how the NFL landscape has changed. Since there are so many, we’ll just list off the more bigger moves that happened…

Arizona

• traded for QB Kevin Kolb (PHI) (Arizona puts all their hopes once again in a new QB to see if they can return to the Super Bowl)
• signed TE Todd Heap

Atlanta

• signed DE Ray Edwards (just got a lot stronger on D), RT Tyson Clabo

Baltimore

• backup QB Marc Bulger retires
• rumor – acquiring WR Malcolm Floyd

Buffalo

• agreed to terms LB Nick Barnett

Carolina

• signed QB Derek Anderson (mentor role for possible stars Cam Newton and Jimmy Clauson)
• resigned RB DeAngelo Williams (basically missing the entire season due to injury Williams gets a chance to bounce back), DE Charles Johnson
• traded for TE Greg Olsen (CHI)

Chicago

• agreed to terms TE Desmond Clark , RB Marion Barber (see if they can pull off a 1-2 punch between Barber and Forte)

Cincinnati

• resigned RB Cedric Benson
• signed CB Nate Clements, LB Manny Lawson
• QB Carson Palmer still has not reported for camp (all signs now point to putting the team in Andy Dalton’s hands)

Cleveland

• signed RB Brandon Jackson (couldn’t make the most of starting in Green Bay, now you get to play behind Hillis)

Dallas

• resigned LB Doug Free, DT Marcus Spears

Denver

• Signs point to QB Tim Tebow to lead the team this year, yet the Broncos have failed to trade away QB Kyle Orton (just let Orton go!)
• signed DE Ty Warren

Detriot

• resigned CB Chris Houston
• signed CB Eric Wright

Green Bay

• resigned WR James Jones, K Mason Crosby

Houston

• resigned QB Matt Leinart
• signed CB Johnathan Joseph (offense is fine, this should give much needed boost to D)

Indianapolis

• resigned QB Peyton Manning, S Melvin Bullitt
• agreed to terms K Adam Vinatieri

Jacksonville

• signed LB Clint Session, LB Paul Posluszeny, S Dawan Landry (major muscle added to the Jaguars)

Kansas City

• signed WR Steve Breaston, FB Le’Ron McClain
• resigned LB Tamba Hali (getting the big bucks, now take your game to the next level)

Miami

• signed RB Reggie Bush (Browns gone Williams gone, guess what Bush it’s your show in Miami now), DT Ronald Fields

Minnesota

• traded for QB Donovan McNabb (WAS) (Minnesota sure loves grabbing QBs who are near the end of their career don’t they?)
• signed OT Charlie Johnson

New England

• resigned T Matt Light and RB BenJarvus Green Ellis
• traded for DT Albert Haynesworth (WAS), WR Chad Ochocinco (CIN) (Can Bill do for Chad what he did for Randy?)

New Orleans

• signed RB Darren Sproles, DT Aubrayo Franklin
• resigned OT Jermon Bushrod

New York Giants

• signed QB David Carr
• resigned RB Ahmad Bradshaw, DE Mathias Kiwanuka
• extended contract of Coach Coughlin
• DE Osi Umenyiora still hasn’t been signed by a team

New York Jets

• resigned CB Antonio Cromartie, WR Santonio Holmes, K Nick Folk
• agreed to terms WR Plaxico Burress (really it can’t hurt them, let’s give him another shot – pun intended)

Oakland

• signed QB Trent Edwards, OT Jared Gaither
• rumor – acquiring TE Kevin Boss

Philedelphia

• signed CB Nnamdi Asomugha (got the best free agent), QB Vince Young (best backup and thensome), DT Cullen Jenkins
• agreed to terms RB Ronnie Brown (another good RB)
• traded for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (combined with Nnamdi and Asante just deadly)
• star WR DeSean Jackson continues to hold out (get this guy and you got yourself a Super Bowl caliber team)

Pittsburgh

• resigned CB Ike Taylor

San Diego

• signed LB Takeo Spikes, S Bob Sanders, S Eric Weddle

San Francisco

• resigned QB Alex Smith (really putting your faith in Smith, or just holding out for Luck)
• signed CB Carlos Rogers

Seattle

• signed TE Zach Miller (him and Carlson and you got 2 top ten TE on your team), K Jeff Reed, WR Sidney Rice, QB Tarvaris Jackson (might as well just be the Seattle Vikings, but Jackson got the reigns to this team)
• resigned CB Kelly Jennings

St. Louis

• agreed to terms Jerious Norwood, WR Mike Sims-Walker, RB Cadillac Williams
• signed OG Harvey Dahl

Tampa Bay

• resigned OT Jeremy Trueblood, G David Joseph

Tennessee

• WR Randy Moss announces retirement
• signed QB Matt Hasselbeck, LB Barrett Ruud

Washington

• resigned QB Rex Grossman
• traded for RB Tim Hightower (ARZ)
• signed DT Barry Cofield

Still Available?

• WR Braylon Edwards – currently on Jets
• WR Steve Smith – currently on Giants
• RB Michael Bush – currently on Raiders
• OT Sean Locklear – currently on Seahawks
• OT Damien Woody – currently on Jets
• TE Bo Scaife – currently on Titans
• WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh – currently on Ravens
• WR Mark Clayton – currently on Rams
• WR Terrell Owens – currently on Bengals
• RB Ricky Williams – currently on Dolphins

NFL Lockout is Over…Finally

So about 4 and 1/2 months ago, disagreements between the team owners and the NFL Players Association led to a lockout over the Collective Bargaining Agreement that determines how the annual revenue is divided up among other things. With talks still going and the end of July approaching it seemed like there could be the possibility of no NFL season or very least a delayed NFL season.

Today, the NFL Players Association unanimously agreed to the terms of a deal presented last week by the owners, that was mostly agreed upon, with a few kinks needed to be worked out. Key members of both sides along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell meet outside the NFLPA’s headquarters to make the announcement. So yeah, football is back on woot!

It seems what came out of the terms are more revenues for the owners going to 53% and players 47%. There is now trust between players and teams to use some of that revenue in making the game more safe for the players, including 5 full days off for the players during their bye week. From this the season could be expanded from 16 to 18 games that the players have the option to change in 2013.

The timeline of events that follows is below…

• Tomorrow – Teams will open their facilities to the players. Teams can begin to sign drafted rookies and undrafted free agents along with negotiate but not sign veteran free agents
• Wednesday – 15 days before a team’s first pre-season game, training camp can open (10 on this day)
• Thursday – Teams can begin to cut players
• Friday – Teams can sign new free agents but those players can’t participate in physical activity with the new team until Aug. 4
• Next Thursday (Aug. 4) – Teams must be within the new salary cap

Story from The Oregonian via AP (LINK)

Story from ESPN (LINK)

Blazers Draft 2011 Thoughts

I meant to do this post awhile ago but some stuff came up, but here’s basically my rant on the entire thing…

Nolan Smith

• I really hope Nolan turns out to be a surprise because we really wasted a pick here, I think a better move would’ve been to trade up in the 2nd round because I doubt that many teams had Nolan on their radar
• We really needed a strong backup to LaMarcus Aldridge, that I saw in Kenneth Faried, I don’t believe that swapping in centers as backups is working or the opposite swapping in small forwards to go small, we needed a legitimate backup
• Nolan is a combo-guard and we really needed a true backup PG
• Right now it just looks like Nolan will be a backup PG for his entire career, nothing really explosive about him
• At the very least he has really strong character

Jon Diebler

• If we were going to let go of Rudy we should’ve drafted Marshon Brooks or Jordan Hamilton
• I would’ve rather traded up and gotten Josh Selby
• This feels a lot like drafting Luke Babbitt again, a good shooter and nothing else, which is pointless with the way the Blazers play
• It’s almost guaranteed that Diebler is getting shipped overseas

Raymond Felton Trade

• I’m starting to feel better about this trade, but there’s still things that bug me about it
• No doubt about it Andre was like the rock that held this team together and that’s just big shoes to fill for Felton
• I like how Felton will bring a more up tempo game to the Blazers and his already established connection with Gerald Wallace should work in our favor
• Felton from his interviews look a little overweight, especially for a speed guard
• We can’t lose the lob pass dynamic we used to have with Andre, it works in our system too well
• In this 3 team trade, we got nothing from Dallas what’s up with that? – Basically Denver gets Andre Miller and Jordan Hamilton, Dallas gets Rudy Fernandez, Minnesota is also somehow involved with the illegal draft pick of Tanguy Ngobo; Portland is one acquisition short

Contract Extensions

• I like the Oden one just cause we invested so much into him I don’t think we can ever let him go, I just feel bad cause Oden just can’t get a lucky break and he just needs one good season to give us a dominating presence in the west
• 3rd year options on Patty Mills, Luke Babbitt, and Elliot Williams, each of these guys should prove themselves this maybe coming season else they are just a waste of space, we could do better on filling out our bench
• I’m glad they didn’t extend the contract of Armon Johnson, he’s basically the PG that gets kicked this coming fall
• Since we didn’t draft Faried, please extend the contract of Chris Johnson, the dude actually guarded Dirk during the playoffs this year, we can’t let that go!

Final Thoughts

• Blazers still has 1 or 2 more pieces they need to fill in
• The NBA lockout is not helping this at all, for both NFL and NBA please come to a decision in the next month or so, this is just getting annoying
• I really want to see Blazer management hire a long lasting GM for once, make this happen

Photos from AP and Oregonian

NBA Draft ’11 – Trail Blazers Results

As I am making this post I’m still getting the final details of everything that happened tonight with the Trail Blazers in the 2011 NBA Draft. I have a lot of grievances against stuff that happened, but I’ll do a quick report tonight on what I know so far. Definitely will do an update on all of this Saturday or Sunday.

At Pick #21… Nolan Smith (G – 6’3″ 189 lbs, Duke – Senior )

Lead PG at Duke with high basketball IQ and good size. Apart of the 2010 Duke Championship team.

At Pick #51… Jon Diebler (SG – 6’6″ 205 lbs, Ohio St. – Senior)

A pure knockdown shooter with one of the highest 3 pt percentages in the NCAA.

Via Trade … Raymond Felton (PG – 6’1″ 205 lbs, DEN)

In a 3 team trade with Portland, Denver, and Dallas. We only know for sure that Denver and Portland traded PGs in Felton and Andre Miller and Portland sends Rudy Fernandez and the rights to Petteri Koponen to Dallas. Portland got the rights to Dallas’s #26 pick Jordan Hamilton which was also exchanged to Denver. Dallas also is in talks for the #57 pick with Portland, Tanguy Ngombo.

 

I’ll go more in depth over how I feel about each player, updates on the trade, and my winners and losers of the NBA Draft this year on Saturday or Sunday, so stay tuned…