Pre-season is well under way and there is plenty of news coming out of the locker rooms! Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you view it), Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza are all over the major news around the NFL! In part two of this weeks Newz and Viewz the dynamic duo debates focus on Bobby Engram’s injury, the Chicago Bears TE duo of Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark and their expected increased role in the offense, and Chad Pennington’s signing with the Miami Dolphins and the impact that it has had.
So nestle snugly into your computer chair, close the doors, and turn off the phones, it is time for another edition of Newz and Viewz from two whacky, insane Detroit Lions fans, Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza!
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Newz: WR Bobby Engram has a cracked shoulder and will miss a minimum of 6-8 weeks making it a probability that he will not return to the Seattle Seahawks until at least Week 5.
Bruno Boys Ziza Viewz: Down goes Bobby Engram! Does anyone believe in karma as much as I do? The man finally gets his shot to succeed with the Seattle Seahawks and the 35 year old WR decided to skip minicamp because of his contract since he is going into free agency this year! Um, what? The dude by default, due to Deion Branch’s injury, was primed to be the their #1 WR target this year. Now, since he will be missing at least the first three weeks of the season, with a bye-week on the fourth, he probably won’t return until the fifth week at the earliest. To me, Bruno Boys Nation, that is what they call karma! You try to get the advantage over someone and then you get knocked down. The man should of just went about his business, played it professionally and came into camp on a serious note. But instead of doing that, he is now hurt, and with already having a bad attitude, he isn’t going to be impressing any management soon.
This is the perfect time for Nate Burleson, Julius Jones and the hoard of receivers battling for the second position to step up! Burleson and Jones have solid hands and both have the type of skills to where they should be able to top the stats that they have produced in the past. Neither one of these two should be your second starting player at their respective positions, Burleson at WR and Jones at RB, but they would make solid third options if they can take advantage of this situation! Though, Matt Hasselbeck, should take a step back from his last seasons stats because of the two injuries to his top 2 WR’s, and also because he has had back problems this preseason.
Bruno Boys Larry Viewz: Well Ziza, I don’t entirely disagree with you that Nate Burleson becomes the # 1 WR with the Seattle Seahawks and even though his numbers will improve, like you, I still don’t think he’s a starting fantasy football wide receiver in start-2 WR leagues. He is more of a WR3, with the potential to be a low end WR2. Without much else at the WR spot, he might be hard pressed to even get the 9 TD’s that he had last year, because of the probable increased coverage against him, even if he does get more receptions.
I also agree with your viewz regarding quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. Engram's injury will definitely have a negative impact on Matt Hasselbeck’s numbers the first few weeks of the season. This is the guy that had already lost Deion Branch (knee), DJ Hackett (to Carolina) and Shaun Alexander from last year’s team. He will be hard pressed to reach last years 3,966 yards and 28 TD’s. This injury could have a negative fantasy impact on the entire Seattle Seahawks offense and it could take them a while to get going when Engram does come back.
However, unlike you, I am not sure how much Julius Jones will benefit from Engram’s absence though. He only had 23 receptions last year and had a grand total of 9 in 2006. He will be splitting carries with Maurice Morris and that probably means receptions too; remember, Morris also had 23 receptions in 2007.
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Newz: The Chicago Bears OC Ron Turner has said that he plans to involve TE’s, Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark even more this year. They played 2 TE's 25% of pass plays in '07 and plan to be about 35% this year.
BBL Viewz: Well Ziza, I believe that both of these guys have a lot to offer as fantasy football TE’s. Their value may be different, but they both have some. Greg Olsen is a future stud TE1 and can be a great outlet for his quarterback this season. He should be the type of TE that helps a struggling offense move the chains. Because of this, I see a changing of the guard this year in Chicago. In his second season Olsen will start to become more of the focus in the offense than Clark and let’s face it, this offense needs help. Olsen and Clark could pretty much flip flop offensive numbers from 2007 with Olsen getting 500+ yards and 4+ TD’s. Consider Olsen a lower end TE1, although he will be available in the later rounds and have good draft value. Expect Clark to be more of the run blocker in those two tight end sets, so he may have a decline in numbers, but he will make a solid bye-week replacement if the matchup is right.
BBZ Viewz: Larry, I can appreciate the love that you have for the Detroit Tigers and Lions. Hell to a lesser extent the Pistons, Redwings and Wolverines. But never, ever will I respect the fact that you think the Chicago Bears have two solid fantasy football TE’s. They both have talent, I will give you that! But even after all of those stats that you spewed, if you add them together they barely match the top fantasy football TE’s.
I am not a huge fan of carrying two Tight Ends if you don’t have to, so if you are in a league that doesn’t require a second TE, skip the rest of this post and go to the next question!
But if you are in a league that requires a second TE and both of these players happen to be your best option, I hope for your sake it is as a TE2! Combined they are a TE1. Separated, as they will be in your league, neither stack up. I find it really hard to believe that adding 10% of the offensive plays to the TE’s will all of a sudden bring these two to fantasy football glory.
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Newz: Chad Pennington, recently released by the New York Jets, has signed with the Miami Dolphins.
BBL Viewz: I do believe this was a good signing for Chad Pennington and for the Miami Dolphins. They both needed each other as Pennington lost his job to the Brett Favre circus and Miami’s best option before bringing Pennington into camp was Josh McCown. But, let’s face it, the signing didn’t really scare anybody. This is the Miami Dolphins of 2008 not 1984. Pennington doesn’t have the Mark's Brothers (Mark Clayton and Mark Duper) to throw to. He has Ted Ginn Jr. and Derek Hagan. Once again that’s not scaring anyone.
Pennington will benefit from the drafting of tackles Jake Long (Michigan) and Shawn Murphy (Utah State), but it still doesn’t give him any more weapons to throw to. The running game is solid if Ronnie Brown can return to his early season form of last year, but after major knee surgery that is a big question. In fact, the Dolphins have declared of all people Ricky Williams their number one running back, and he lasted just six carries before suffering a season ending injury in 2007. Is Pennington worth what he signed for? I say by today’s standards yes he is, because in today’s NFL 5-6 million dollars a year doesn’t get you a star quarterback, it gives you a serviceable one and that’s all Pennington is, serviceable.
BBZ Viewz: I agree with most of what you said Larry, but I am going to go even a step further. With the addition of having RB Ricky Williams pulling his ganja smoking head out of his butt, the improved OL and some actual leadership skills from the QB position in Chad Pennington, I really think the Miami Dolphins could be much improved this year. No, it is not just because of Pennington, because let’s face it he isn’t much above average. But what he does bring is all that we have already mentioned and he will also make a great tutor for your boy, the ex-Wolverine, Chad Henne. I also feel he is worth the little investment that it took to get him into a Dolphins uniform. All-in-all, just a little blip on the NFL (and fantasy) map, but a major step forward for the Miami Dolphins!
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Past Newz and Viewz Articles (click to view)
8/16 - Is Marvin Harrison recovered from knee surgery?
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