http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1784 Recent articles about Braylon Edwards en-us 2005 had its share of stars in the 1st round but also had a handful of busts check to see where your teams pick did............. 1. Alex Smith, quarterback, 49ers: When the first overall pick is competing three years later with Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan for the starting job, that's by definition a BUST. 2. Ronnie Brown, running back, Dolphins: After a so-so first year, Brown has been solid. A torn ACL derailed his opportunity to have a strong third year. Though he hasn't lived up to the billing of the No. 2 overall pick, we're not yet ready to call him a bust. (But we could be after 2008.) 3. Braylon Edwards, receiver, Browns: Edward is becoming one of the best receivers in the league. Clearly, not a bust. 4. Cedric Benson, running back, Bears: He's been a disappointment on the field, and his arrest conjures memories of past incidents in college. Without question, he's a BUST. 5. Cadillac Williams, running back, Buccaneers: Williams made a huge splash as a rookie, but can't stay healthy. After rupturing a patellar tendon in 2007, he might not play again. If he does, he might never be the same. Based on his top-five selection, he's a BUST. 6. Pacman Jones, cornerback, Titans: BUST 7. Troy Williamson, receiver, Vikings: We once tried to throw Williamson a compliment, but he dropped that, too. BUST. 8. Antrel Rolle, cornerback, Cardinals: When a cornerback might be shifted to safety at only age 25, it's not because he's a great cornerback. BUST. 9. Carlos Rogers, cornerback, Redskins: He's on the path to being declared a bust. We'll give him one more year. 10. Mike Williams, receiver, Lions: Maybe he wouldn't have been a BUST if the Lions had made him an offensive lineman. 11. DeMarcus Ware, linebacker, Cowboys: A 2006 Pro Bowl + a 2007 Pro Bowl = not a bust. 12. Shawne Merriman, linebacker, Chargers: He could still be a bust if he gets suspended again for steroids (or blown up on a regular basis by a pint-sized running back); for now, though, Merriman is clearly not a bust. 13. Jammal Brown, tackle, Saints: The Pro Bowler in 2006 slipped a bit last year, and the Saints were rumored to be shopping him. Still, he's not a bust. 14. Thomas Davis, safety/linebacker, Panthers: He's not spectacular, but he started 16 games in 2007. Not a bust. 15. Derrick Johnson, linebacker, Chiefs: Johnson made a splash as a rookie and hasn't taken it quite to the next level in two years since, but he's not a bust. 16. Travis Johnson, defensive tackle, Texans: When the biggest hit of your career is one that you unknowingly put on a quarterback's head with your knee, you might be a redneck. And a BUST. 17. David Pollack, linebacker, Bengals: Though he was on his way to becoming a great player, a neck injury ended his career early in his second season. Unfortunately, he must be declared a BUST. 18. Erasmus James, defensive end, Vikings: Knee problems have slowed his development, but barring injury to Jared Allen and Ray Edwards (and maybe Brian Robison), James won't be a starter in his fourth season. BUST. 19. Alex Barron, offensive tackle, Rams: The Rams wouldn't have been dreaming of Jake Long sliding to No. 2 if they thought that Barron was the long-term solution on the left side, or the right. BUST. 20. Marcus Spears, defensive end, Cowboys: Yeah, he has been a three-year starter. But he was rumored to be on the trading block earlier this year, and his impact hasn't reflected his stature as one of the top 20 players in the draft. BUST. 21. Matt Jones, receiver, Jaguars: This much-hyped quarterback-turned-receiver isn't very good, and doesn't seem to care. The Jags would have been wise to let him play quarterback — for another team. BUST. 22. Mark Clayton, receiver, Ravens: The thinking in NFL circles is that a player destined to be a high-end receiver performs like one by his third NFL season. For his third season, Clayton had 49 catches for 531 yards, and no touchdowns. BUST. 23. Fabian Washington, cornerback, Raiders: Being traded for a fourth-round pick after only three seasons automatically qualifies him for BUST status. 24. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, Packers: He has looked good when he's gotten a chance to play, but the jury is out on whether he's a bust. Get back to us in a year. 25. Jason Campbell, quarterback, Redskins: Campbell is on his way to becoming a solid starter, and could evolve into one of the better signal-callers in the conference. Not a bust. 26. Chris Spencer, center, Seahawks: If he'd been taken higher, Spencer might qualify for strong consideration as a bust. But he started every game in 2005, and the Seahawks have gotten decent value out of him. Close, but not a bust. 27. Roddy White, receiver, Falcons: White was on his way to being a bust after his first two years. He broke out in 2007, which coincidentally was his first season without catching one-hoppers from Mike Vick. Not a bust. 28. Luis Castillo, defensive tackle, Chargers: Solid defensive linemen despite some injuries. Not a bust. 29. Marlin Jackson, defensive back, Colts: Steady but unspectacular Tampa Two corner. He might be another Jason David in a defense that requires him to cover wideouts down the field. But his performance allowed the Colts let guys like David walk away. Not a bust. 30. Heath Miller, tight end, Virginia: The Steelers arguably reached on a guy who wasn't healthy in the months leading up to the draft. They ended up with a solid tight end. Not a bust. 31. Mike Patterson, defensive tackle, Eagles: The Philly chapter of PFT Planet will revolt if we were to call Patterson a bust. Not a bust. 32. Logan Mankins, offensive lineman, Patriots: Solid contributor on the offensive line. Besides, we can't call anyone who paid $7,500 for the privilege of punching a guy in the crotch a bust. Thu, 08 May 2008 07:39:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264689 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264689 Profootballtalk.com made a statement which could come true. There may be no wide receivers drafted in the first round which could help the Birds. The guy who many thought would be the first wide receiver off the board had a terrible week Malcolm Kelly of Oklahoma University ran a 4.7 in the forty yard dash which was bad enough. He didn't stop there. After running the poor time he blamed the facility coordinators at OU for his poor time. In fact he went into an emotionally-charged rant and did it publicly. This may have been worse than running the bad time. The New York Times thoroughly rips him another one. Personally I agree with Profootballweekly.com and their belief that you can't judge a player solely by their forty time. They correctly indentified players like Michael Irvin, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Baldin and Braylon Edwards as guys who are big like Kelly and didn't have good forty times. These guys are all NFL superstars and Irvin has done even better than that and been voted to the Hall Of Fame. Now there are NFL people who think he could fall to the second round because of the poor time and this classless act of blaming it on somebody else. I don't like the fact that everybody seems to treat things that happen near the draft as being more important than other crucial events that happened a month or two ago. Kelly made a mistake but is that worse than the guy who got in trouble with the law a few months ago. This could help the Birds because it'll allow them to address another position in the first round and get the wide receiver in the second round. Who knows they may decide that Kelly is their guy. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:21:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236039 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236039 Many of the leagues most respected players were in Washington, DC, on Friday to be honored at the 2008 NFL Players Gala featuring the JB Awards. Hosted by CBS' James Brown and former Steelers head coach turned CBS analyst Bill Cowher, the event is an annual awards presentation benefiting Special Olympics District of Columbia. A group of the players being honored at the evening's award show spent the morning at Catholic University playing football with 75 or so local Special Olympic Athletes. Players involved on Friday morning included Marques Douglas, Chris Draft, Warrick Dunn, Braylon Edwards, Israel Idonije, Kassim Osgood, Mack Strong, James Thrash and Brian Waters. With guys like Chris Henry and Matt Leinert in the news for questionable decisions lately, I think it's important to recognize many of the league's good people. DC was lucky enough to be full of them on Friday. I spent a few hours watching the football-style games the NFL guys played with the Special Olympic athletes and there was one thing that was blatantly clear throughout the day. From the kids to the volunteers to the NFL players, every single person in the gym was having an absolute blast. I can't recall the last time I've seen so many smiles in one place. James Thrash, a player known on the field for his punt return skills, seemed to be having more fun than anyone all day long. When I asked him what it was like for him to spend the day with the kids, Thrash was glowing. "When you see the fun these kids are having, you can't help but smile." It really is true. The smiles in the gym were contagious. Another athlete having a blast was Cleveland Browns star receiver Braylon Edwards. Thrash and Edwards were teamed up in a drill that led the children through an obstacle course and once completed they had the chance to make a pass to Braylon. The kids put Edwards' impressive hands to the test but he didn't disappoint. After each catch, he danced as if he'd just caught a TD in the Super Bowl. Two other players of note at the event were Chris Draft of the Rams and Warrick Dunn of the Bucs. Draft was having so much fun running around with the kids he looked as if he had just run a marathon. NFL players must sweat more than the average person. Warrick Dunn played the role of quarterback in a hand off drill. While many of the NFL players were giants, Dunn looked like one of the kids. I was amazed that a man of his size can thrive and actually be incredibly effective in the NFL. I had the chance to ask Warrick how he felt about returning to the Tampa Bay Bucs after years in Atlanta. Dunn, quite soft spoken said he believes it will be a "good situation" for him in Tampa. It was an inspiring day watching some of the NFL's brightest stars get a chance to make the days of a gym full of kids who likely don't get this kind of opportunity every day. pics are at this link: http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/photos/nfl-players-charity/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:35:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229602 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229602 Though the Baltimore Ravens have struggled to find a top-notch quarterback since relocating from Cleveland 12 years ago, the Ravens also have had precious few talented wideouts. Four years ago, that almost changed with the attempted acquisition of Terrell Owens. They've also had a couple of cracks at Randy Moss over the years, but have never made a serious run at him. Instead, they've relied on the draft, which has yielded largely forgettable names like Jermaine Lewis (fifth round, 1996), Pat Johnson (second round, 1998), Brandon Stokley (fourth round, 1999), Travis Taylor (first round, 2000), Ron Johnson (fourth round, 2002), Lamont Brightful (sixth round, 2002), Javin Hunter (sixth round, 2002), Devard Darlin (third round, 2004), Mark Clayton (first round, 2005), Demetrius Williams (fourth round, 2006), and Yamon Figurs (third round, 2007). Currently, the roster consists of Figurs, Williams, Clayton, Matt Willis, and Derrick Mason. And so the Ravens are apparently looking for an upgrade in the 2007 draft. Per Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, the Ravens will meet privately with receiver James Hardy of Indiana and Oklahoma receiver Malcolm Kelly. Also, the Ravens reportedly spent time with receiver Devin Thomas of Michigan State at the Scouting Combine. The Ravens hold the eighth overall pick in the 2008 draft — probably too high for any of the guys in this year's draft pool. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:37:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229496 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229496 ESPN Debates the greatest WR in NFL history very much worth reading check it out Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:25:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220094 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220094 With fantasy football drafts less than 9 months away, the Bruno Boys bring to you their first segment of "Who Would You Rather Own in 2008". Bruno Boys Fantasy Football writers Marc Caviglia and Chris Ziza give you their expert analysis on which players they are targeting heading into 2008. ——————————————————— 1. QB Tom Brady (NE) or QB Tony Romo (DAL) or QB Peyton Manning (IND) Bruno Boys Caviglia: Give me Tom Brady baby! We all know Brady's 50 touchdown passes will be tough to repeat, but even if he throws between 35-40 touchdowns, he still is the top quarterback heading into 2008. If Brady's on the board late in the first round, I'd take the gamble on him. However, if you are looking for consistency, than you have to go with Peyton Manning. In his 10 year NFL career, he has never thrown for less than 26 touchdown passes and has surpassed 4,000 passing yards in 8 of those 10 seasons. Finally, if you consider yourself a risk taker, think about Tony Romo. He is fresh off a 36 touchdown season, and has the receiving corps to have another stellar season. Bruno Boys Ziza: To me that is a tough one. Tom Brady is coming off a career year, but it seemed as if by the end of the season teams had figured them out some, and I believe the Patriots will be going to more of a running game. Manning was consistent as always, but not worthy of his normal first round draft status and Tony Romo had a very solid, yet unspectacular season. My money would be on Peyton Manning. As much as I am sure Brady would be the popular choice to most, Manning is the only QB on this board that has put up great numbers year after year. Falling back to reality somewhat would not surprise me with Brady, making Manning the man I would call on if I were in need of a QB. ——————————————————— 2. QB Philip Rivers (SD) or QB Jay Cutler (DEN) Bruno Boys Ziza: To me, this is a no-brainer. Even when the Chargers brought in Chris Chambers, Philip Rivers never was able to find any type of consistent production. Jay Cutler, on the other hand, had less weapons to work with, went through some growing pains, but he is now entering his third full-season. I expect him to grow even more this year, and since it is starting to look as if Rivers may never piece things together, my money is on Cutler. Bruno Boys Caviglia: One of the guys I will be targeting in all leagues next year is Jay Cutler. Last year, Cutler threw 12 TD's to 6 INT's over the last 8 games, and finished the season with a 63.6 completion percentage, which is good for 3rd all-time in Denver Broncos history. With Brandon Marshall deveolping into a top tier wide receiver and the Broncos starting to properly use Tony Scheffler, Cutler should be a top 10 quarterback in 2008. As for Philip Rivers, he also caught fire towards the end of the season (11 TD's to 5 INT's over the last 8 games), but overall he dipped in production from 2006 to 2007. I believe both quarterbacks are fantasy football worthy, but with the San Diego Chargers having the better running game, it will be Cutler who has more opportunity to shine and post better statistics in 2008. ——————————————————— :: click on the link below to get fantasy analysis on over 25 key players:: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:32:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/211286 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/211286 The first wave of free agency is essentially over. However, teams looking for help on the offensive line can still find quality starters. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper Byron Leftwich Quinn Gray Gus Frerotte Tim Rattay Kelly Holcomb Trent Dilfer Craig Nall Marques Tuiasosopo Running Back Kevin Jones Ron Dayne Michael Pittman Musa Smith Mike Anderson Anthony Thomas Verron Haynes Fullback Lorenzo Neal Dan Kreider Cecil Sapp Jim Finn Wide Receiver D.J. Hackett Bryant Johnson Eddie Kennison David Givens Eric Moulds Samie Parker Reche Caldwell Peerless Price Robert Ferguson Keenan McCardell Tim Carter Jerheme Urban Troy Walters Aaron Moorehead Tim Dwight Troy Brown Bryan Gilmore Tight End L.J. Smith (franchise player) Bubba Franks Kris Wilson Marcus Pollard Dwayne Blakley Jason Dunn Stephen Alexander Jerramy Stevens Ryan Krause Christian Fauria Aaron Walker Offensive Tackle Stacy Andrews (franchise player) Fred Miller Max Starks (transition player) Shane Olivea Barry Sims Anthony Clement L.J. Shelton Oliver Ross Jason Fabini Wayne Gandy Mike Rosenthal Nat Dorsey Barry Stokes Stockar McDougle Guard Chris Naeole Jake Scott Fred Weary Floyd Womack John Welbourn Tutan Reyes Ruben Brown Matt Lehr (C) Seth McKinney Todd Steussie Milford Brown Center Justin Hartwig Mike Flynn Casey Wiegmann Mike Flanagan Jeremy Newberry Brett Romberg Kicker Jason Elam Olindo Mare Morten Andersen Aaron Elling Punter Mitch Berger Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:52:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203042 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203042 There are still around two dozen quality players from the defensive side of the ball that remain on the free agent market. Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth (franchise player) Rod Coleman Darwin Walker Larry Tripplett Anthony McFarland Grady Jackson Bryan Robinson Ellis Wyms Keith Traylor James Reed William Joseph Ethan Kelley Ian Scott Antonio Garay Kimo von Oelhoffen Ted Washington Russell Davis Nick Eason Defensive End Jared Allen (franchise player) Terrell Suggs (OLB) (franchise player) James Hall Kevin Carter (DT) Mike Rucker Greg Spires Josh Thomas Orpheus Roye ND Kalu Darrion Scott Renaldo Wynn Al Wallace Inside Linebacker Karlos Dansby (franchise player) Lemar Marshall Jeremiah Trotter Brian Simmons Rob Morris (SLB) Caleb Miller Outside Linebacker Takeo Spikes Ian Gold Rosevelt Colvin Victor Hobson Clark Haggans Brandon Chillar Kendrell Bell Keith Adams Rocky Boiman Shawn Barber Donnie Spragan Matt Stewart Safety Ken Hamlin (franchise player) Kenoy Kennedy Chris Crocker Terrence Holt Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:08:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203017 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/203017 The New England Patriots are yesterday's news. The Dallas Cowboys? Spare me the soap opera. The Green Bay Packers suddenly became much less interesting and this year's draft class, at least at this point, lacks a true can't-miss superstar. So, what's THE story for the 2008 NFL season? Look no further than the Dog Pound. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:02:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/191350 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/191350 Wow, have the Cleveland Browns turned their team around. Derek Anderson bloomed into a fantastic quarterback after the team shipped out Charlie Frye to Seattle last season. In return, Anderson received a three year deal with the team to become the starting quarterback for at least this season. Sophomore player Brady Quinn will look to give some healthy competition to attempt to win that job during training camps. On top of already having Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Willie McGinest, Joshua Cribbs, and a few other decent names, the Browns have gone out to try and fix a few more pieces to the puzzle to attempt to win a seemingly pitiful AFC North. Big spenders during the first few days of free agency, the Browns picked up WR Donte Stallworth who played last season with the New England Patriots, traded cornerback Leigh Bodden to the Detroit Lions in exchange for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, and traded the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Corey Williams. They also chose to resign running back Jamal Lewis to a three year deal. Lewis came over from the Baltimore Ravens, an AFC North rival, and seemed to revitalize his career. The Browns are taking the next step to try and win the AFC North, which it seems as though the Browns will battle it out with the Pittsburgh Steelers with their revised roster going into the 2008 season. Also, Join ATS this Sunday (March 9) at 8PM Eastern Time as T- Money welcomes FIO contributor Lou Poulas to help you get prepared for your fantasy baseball draft! If you have any questions for Tim and Lou, e- mail tmiller@fantasyinsideronline.com Also to be discussed: NFL Free Agency, Brett Favre retires, Rockets continue to soar, Nuggets pick up their game after T- Money rips them a new one, and all the usual, weekly segments brought to you by ATS! Listen Live, Sunday March 9 at 8PM Eastern Time here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tmoneysports and join other listeners in the chat room! You can also call into the show, 718- 664- 6559! If you can not join the show live, be sure to listen to the show on the archive featured at http://www.fantasyinsideronline.com/ats.asp If you would like to sign up to receive the ATS newsletter in your e-mail, send a message to tmiller@fantasyinsideronline.com Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:43:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/186055 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/186055 Outside the New England Patriots, perhaps the best story in fantasy football in '07 were the Cleveland Browns. Why? No one went into the season expecting monster numbers from these guys. They had major question marks at quarterback and running back with no guarantees that the often injured duo of WR Braylon Edwards or TE Kellen Winslow would prove to be consistent fantasy threats after breakthrough 2006 campaigns. After a struggle in week one that led to the benching and subsequent trade of the opening starter Charlie Frye, unheralded backup QB Derek Anderson stepped in and the Browns' offense never looked back. It was a remarkable year that had several fantasy stars evolve. In fact, many of the Browns led fantasy teams to the playoffs, even though the Cleveland club just missed out in reality. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:30:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179935 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179935 We examine Donte Stallworth's 2008 fantasy value and project a strong season for Stallworth in Cleveland. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:38:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179682 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179682 Free agency has begun in the NFL, which means personnel moves all over the league. FantasyFanatics.com will update you on the latest movements and provide our take. It promises to be an exciting off-season and, with the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, business is about to pick up. Michael Turner, Isaac Bruce, Asante Samuel, Derek Anderson, and Bernard Berrian highlight this week's news roundup. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:23:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/176674 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/176674 The Cleveland Browns have continued with their spending spree, by signing former New England Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth. Stallworth gets a 7-year contract worth $35 million, there is $10 million in that contract that is guaranteed. He'll receive $17 million over the first 4 years of the contract. This is another good signing for the Browns and pretty good for Donte as well. Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:22:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/176034 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/176034 It could be because Phil Savage wanted to have two capable quarterbacks. But he apparently caught wind of something else - another team was going to use DA to get a high first-round draft pick. Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:59:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/175407 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/175407