By Dalton Del Don
I’m a big fan of LeSean McCoy. After the “big-four,” to me, it comes down to him or Ray Rice next. McCoy isn’t a true workhorse, but Brian Westbrook proved for years that isn’t necessary to be highly productive in Andy Reid’s system. Thanks to an NFL-high 78 receptions among running backs, McCoy totaled 1,672 yards last season despite seeing 20 carries in just one contest. But don’t let that low carry total fool you, as the Eagles clearly trust and rely on him heavily, as McCoy played 837 snaps, which tied for third among backs despite sitting out Week 17 because Philadelphia had nothing to play for. At age 22, McCoy’s five rushes for 40-plus yards led the NFL, so while he’s not going to dominate at the goal-line, he can score from anywhere on the field, and it’s worth noting he received 15 targets inside the red zone, including four inside the five-yard line. While McCoy would see an increase in touches should Michael Vick go down, it would likely be for the best if the QB stayed healthy, as defenses have their hands full focusing on stopping the elusive Vick with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin as options outside. McCoy is set up for a huge 2011 season.
One of the better gaffes in recent game show history. Not knowing how many feet are in a yard is one thing, but she must’ve thought those two kids were really tall.
I’m not one to get political, but I must say, I wholeheartedly support Obama’s new high-speed bus plan.
Tony Romo is coming off a season that was cut short after just 5.5 games, but despite the Cowboys’ disappointing record at the time, he had completed 69.5 percent of his passes and was on pace to toss 32 touchdowns while taking few sacks. Because of Dallas’ third-place finish last year, its schedule gets easier in 2011, including facing the weak NFC West. Moreover, with Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, few teams can match the weapons at Romo’s disposal. That’s just gravy, as Romo is a true superstar in his own right, as his career 8.0 YPA ranks fourth overall in NFL history, and the three ahead of him played in the 30s, 40s and 50s. It’s possible DeMarco Murray becomes a dominant goal-line back, but the safe bet is Dallas relies on its passing attack this year, and there’s a reasonable argument Romo should be the third quarterback off the board in fantasy leagues.
Our good friend Steve is back at it yet again.
This 747 landing is no joke.
I’m conflicted about Steven Jackson. I want to call him a bust candidate, and I’m almost certain he’ll end up on none of my teams, as I’m unwilling to buy someone so vulnerable to break down at his cost. In fact, Jackson has more touches than any other back in football since 2005 despite missing 10 games over the stretch. Now that’s a heavy workload. Still just 28 years old, Jackson has already accrued 1,878 career carries – to put that into perspective, Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams, who are the same age, have racked up 1,371 and 841 rushing attempts, respectively. Of course, fantasy owners welcome high volume, but all those touches have seemingly sapped some of Jackson’s explosiveness. He’s averaged just 6.0 touchdowns over the past six years and somehow gained a net total of zero yards on 10 rushes inside the five-yard line last season. However, Jackson may be in a better situation than ever in 2011, with a returning (and competent) head coach in Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels joining the fold (for all his terrible personnel decisions, of which there were many, McDaniels sure can run a productive offense). Sam Bradford should improve in year 2, and the Rams’ wide receiver crew could quickly go from a weakness to a strength. The defense also has the makings of being sneaky good, and Jackson continues to have the benefit of playing in the NFL’s easiest division. I’m personally staying away, but while on the downside of his career, Jackson’s situation looks to be quite improved this year.
The three craziest photos of the week: here, here and here.
This gentleman appears to be slightly invested in a soccer match.
Sticking with St. Louis, I was pretty surprised to see them at +275 to win the NFC West during a recent trip to Las Vegas. I’m a 49ers fan, but I’m picking the Rams to win this division outright, so any odds are gravy. St. Louis had the seventh most sacks in football last year and added DE Robert Quinn with the 14th pick of the draft. Moreover, the team signed Quintin Mikell, who Pro Football Focus graded as the NFL’s best safety two of the past three years, in free agency. I’m also of the belief some combination of Mark Clayton, Danario Alexander, Donnie Avery, Danny Amendola and Austin Pettis will form a capable WR corps, and don’t be surprised if the team also makes a run at Darren Sproles. I’m all over that bet.
This person took parallel parking to the next level.
“Dead” man wakes screaming after day in morgue.
What is Carolina thinking spending all that money on DeAngelo Williams? I mean, $21 million guaranteed? I don’t care so much he’s already 28 since his career workload is low, but he’s missed 13 games over the past two seasons while not acting as a true workhorse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a believer in Williams’ talent and consider him one of the five best running backs in football, but problem is, Jonathan Stewart isn’t far behind (if at all), so why is a team that just finished 2-14 (or any, for that matter) tying up so much money into the most fungible position on the field? Running backs get hurt, fine, but then there’s Mike Goodson on the roster as well. What a mind blowing, awful use of resources, as Carolina clearly doesn’t get it. While some Stewart fantasy owners will hold out hope, pointing to his 1,133-rushing yard, 10-TD season in 2009, realize he got 39% of those rushing yards (and four touchdowns) over the final three games of the year when Williams was sidelined, so he was essentially unusable on a weekly basis beforehand, and Carolina currently fields a much worse team than 2008-2009. While Stewart no doubt has top-10 upside (if not higher), it’s going to take another Williams injury for him to be playable (and this is coming from a Stewart dynasty owner).
Alien life form turns out to be hairless monkey.
Tarvaris Jackson is yet another reason to wait on quarterbacks in fantasy leagues. I’m not saying I’d rely on him as a QB1, and of course I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him starting for my favorite NFL team, but he can run (averaged 23.2 rushing yards per game while starting over his career), is moving to football’s easiest division and now has Sidney Rice as a weapon. Jackson should have little trouble beating out Charlie Whitehurst for the starting job in Seattle and got 7.4 YPA with a 10:2 TD:INT ratio over limited work from 2008-2009. Jackson will almost certainly be a below average QB for the Seahawks, but he’s a former second round pick with just 20 career starts under his belt at age 28, so some improvement could occur, especially since his learning curve will be minimal with former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell (who clearly must see something in him with this transaction) now in Seattle. Jackson can run, plays in the NFC West and has a bona fide WR1 at his disposal, so he’s a worthwhile late round flier.
Did this kid kill a Chupacabra?
Great read about what has happened to Kei Igawa.
LeGarrette Blount admittedly loses a lot of value in PPR formats, but otherwise, I’m willing to take the plunge in the middle of round 2. He led the NFL last year in broken tackles as a runner with 50, which is a remarkable feat considering his 201 carries ranked just 22nd. His 3.7 YPC after contact also was the best in football. However, despite Blount’s big build (6-0, 247), his coaches lost trust in him in short-yardage situations, and the stats backed them up (Blount was just 2-for-9 at the goal line), so securing the role at the goal line will be crucial to his 2011 fantasy value. There’s no reason he can’t succeed there given his attributes as he’s not only a physical beast but also possesses the best hurdle in the NFL, and while some question his speed, Blount’s three carries for 40-plus yards and 10 carries for 20-plus last season both equaled Jamaal Charles’ output. QB Josh Freeman and WR Mike Williams look like stars in the making, so this Bucs’ offense could soon be dangerous. With his ability to break tackles, Blount’s numbers could be scary good if Tampa Bay’s poor offensive line improves.
What exactly is going on here during this robbery attempt?
What exactly is going on in the background of this interview?
Santonio Holmes has played his entire career for run-first teams, something that’s unlikely to change after re-signing with the Jets. However, he’s been both an advanced metric and scout favorite for some time, posting impressive YPT marks throughout his career. He’s one season removed from a 1,248-yard campaign and scored six touchdowns over 12 games while playing for a new team in New York last season. Holmes will not only be more familiar with the Jets’ system in 2011, he should see a big increase in targets with Braylon Edwards likely gone, and Mark Sanchez should also improve during his third year in the league. Holmes will still be in a run-heavy environment, but he’s never been a true WR1 dominating all the looks in the past, but that should change this season, and he has the skills to fully take advantage of the situation.
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