Yardbarker: Jeremy Shockey

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals NFLX Pick and Preview

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:55:16 -0500

The New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals begin their preseason play on Thursday in a nationally televised game on ESPN. The focus for Arizona is likely to be on the quarterbacks as Matt Leinart tries to prove he is the worthy starter and that Kurt Warner should remain the backup.

All the Favre That’s Fit to Favre - Brett’s a New Yorker Now

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:20:42 -0500

In the end it was the New York Jets…not the Tampa Bay Bucs, not the Chicago Bears and not the Minnesota Vikings. For a conditional 4th round draft pick, The Other New York team will have the privilege of lining up with Brett Favre behind center. Why are the Jets doing it? They're clearly feeling pressure to win, what with the rival Patriots dominating their division, and the Giants dominating the New York headlines (and winning the Super Bowl in case you hadn't heard). So the Jets have gone on a spending spree. They beefed up their offensive line with Alan Faneca, snagged a linebacker in Calvin Pace, and helped their running game by grabbing former Viking FB Tony Richardson. They also signed a tight end Mr. Favre is familiar with - Bubba Franks. The Favre trade guarantees the Jets parity in the headline wars with the Giants (especially now that news-maker Jeremy Shockey is gone to New Orleans). It gives them offensive credibility. It makes for a great story two times a year when Favre faces off against Tom Brady and Randy Moss (Favre never got Moss in Green Bay like he wanted but now he's at least in the same division with the Freak again). And what did they give up? A 4th that becomes a higher pick only if the team and Favre reach certain benchmarks. It can become a 1st if the Jets make the Super Bowl with Favre taking 80% of the snaps. Not a serious sacrifice. As for the Packers…they at last got rid of whiny, waffley Brett Favre, the human headache. They never have to deal with another second of retirement speculation. They've spared themselves the pain of a declining Favre trying desperately to hang on. Packer fans should be grateful - they get to remember Brett as he was. We never had to watch Marilyn Monroe get old and saggy, and Packer fans won't have to see Favre end up on his knees, shellshocked, like Y.A. Tittle. Granted, it's sad that Favre's last pass as a Packer had to be a season-ending interception…but in a way it's fitting too. Yes it was failure, but it was magnificent failure…he went down shooting his load like a gunfighter at noon. So what if he's still playing football somewhere else? The Jets won't play in Green Bay again until 2012. Packer fans have been spared the sight of Favre walking onto Lambeau's turf in an opposing uniform. The organization took good care of their tender cheesehead sensibilities. And more importantly, the Packers will never have to see Favre in purple. How desperate were they to keep that from happening? They put a poison pill in their trade agreement with the Jets - if New York turns around and trades Favre to the Vikings they'll have to surrender 3 first-round picks. The pill specifies the Vikings. Still think there was ever a realistic chance of him going to Minnesota? It would never have happened. The PR nightmare was bad enough as it was - for Favre to end up in purple would've been Apocalyptic. The resolution was far from perfect but the Packers and their fans should be able to live with it. And the Jets should enjoy Brett Favre - at least until he starts acting like a bastard again.

Tournament Style Vote Off ( Day 4 ) -- NFL QB's -- Up now -- J.Garcia vs. A.Rodgers -- Pick the Winner

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:41:23 -0500

This is a simple tournament style vote off. What you do here is vote for the best QB of the pair that is up at that time. This is a tournament so vote for the top paring first the next match up will begin after 15 total votes, the first to 8 votes, or the leader at the 24th hour, whichever comes first. Then move to the next pairing on the list and so on till the list is complete and then we start round two which I will post with the new match ups. I will Post the new match ups every day till we crown the CHAMPION. Lets be friendly and honest here is the match up. The NAMES in CAPS are the winners of that match up move on to the next round. When you see a pairing with a CAPS winner move down to where there are two QB's in lower case letters and that is the one we will be voting on at that time. When the next round comes out it will be posted the same as this one but with round 2, then 3, then 4 and so on till we have our two SUPER BOWL QB's. Only vote for the one in session. Let's keep it friendly, and tell your friends we are here and lets make this fun for everyone. Now in session is: J.Garcia vs. A.Rodgers --- J.CAMPBELL defeats T.Jackson --- (11-2) --- J. CAMPBELL WINS T.ROMO defeats M.Hasselback --- (8 - 6) --- T. ROMO WINS P.MANNING defeats T.Brady --- (9 - 7) --- P. MANNING WINS B. FARVE defeats A. Rodgers --- (7 - 6) --- B. FARVE WINS E.MANNING defeats P.Rivers --- (9 - 7) --- E.MANNING WINS D.MCNABB defeats C.Palmer --- (8 - 2) --- D. MCNABB WINS D. ANDERSON defeats V.Young ---(12 - 4)---D. ANDERSON WINS B.ROTHLESBUGER defeats T.Edwards -- (8 - 0) -- B. ROTHLESBUGER WINS J.Garcia vs. A.Rodgers --- IS NOW IN SESSION K. Warner vs. J. Kitna R. Grossman vs. D. Garrard J. Cutler vs. J. Delhomme D. Brees vs. M. Bulger J. Russell vs. M. Schuab A. Smith vs B. Cryole

NFL Preview: Philadelphia Eagles

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:22:18 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

Sports fans, like everyone else on the planet, live in the story they tell of their lives. Philly Fan's story isn't a pleasant one. And neither, for the most part, is what they think will happen to their football team this year.

You see, it's all been too long, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. They've been together forever, with the window of opportunity slamming shut on them either when Terrell Owens went traitorous, when Reid's Kids went Al Qaida, or when David Akers couldn't tie the game against the Giants from distance last December. We all know how the story ends, year after year, and it never ends with a parade down Broad Street.

The Eagles are too old. McNabb is too brittle. They didn't sign the #1 WR that's absolutely essential to opening up the attack. The offensive line, at some point, will have to rely on Winston "Turnstile" Justice. The linebackers are never good enough. The special teams have killed them for the past three years. Brian Dawkins is spent, and Lito Sheppard is overrated, and Asante Samuel is already hurt, and yada yada yada.

Every team has a negative story, and for 31 out of 32, it'll be true. But the funny thing about stories is that for one team, the story changes. Suddenly, Eli Manning can win a big game. So can Peyton Manning. Even dramatically absurd stories like Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson.

So, assuming the Patriots don't just overwhelm the league and crush through the playoffs like the avenging armies of Hell (and Lucifer's boys have much better linebackers and rarely, if ever, let their quarterback get battered like the Pats did in the SB), some team will have their negative story broken.

But you see, only Eagles Fan really seems to embrace this kind of nonsense. In fact, we tell it to ourselves, to make sure that we don't get our hopes up, because being the first to piss on your team's hopes makes you cooler and smarter than all of the other folks on the bus.

So... can they defy the expectations and the franchise's history since 1960? Well, there are some highly encouraging signs. The schedule is quite easy. The defense will be a lot better with Samuel, assuming he's eventually healthy. They'll get after the quarterback better, since the dessicated remains of Javon Kearse will no longer be around, and they've improved the pass rush with LB Chris Clemons from Oakland. Akers and Sav Rocca probably can't be worse than they were last year, and Desean Jackson has to better than Reno Mahe. (Please, please, please, let us move on from the Reno Mahe Era.)

There is also this... the NFC East, after a season in which every team but the 8-8 Birds made the playoffs, should be worse this year. A lot, lot worse.

The Redskins are trying an unprecedented experiment in giving the head coaching and offensive coordinator reins to a guy (Jim Zorn) that has never held this level of job before. Maybe they'll be healthier, especially on the offensive line, and maybe Jason Campbell is ready to lead... but it's a Daniel Snyder production, so I'm not exactly quaking in fear.

The Cowboys still haven't won a playoff game this millennium, have lost a great deal of their depth with Bill Parcells plundering them to staff Miami, and have been incredibly lucky on injuries for years now. (There's also the fact that with Parcells gone for an increasing amount of time, the magic that is Wade Phillips is going to take hold.)

The Giants might have used up a lifetime of luck last year, and they also lost Michael Strahan to retirement, Jeremy Shockey for future draft picks, and still have to worry a lot about keeping Plax Burress healthy. Add it all up, and it should be that hard to be two of three games better than last year.

So I'm going to be cautiously optimistic, hope for 11-5 and a first round bye (seriously, who in the NFC is going to win 3 out of every 4 games this year? No one in the West or South), and wonder, really, why the story can't be different this year. McNabb's a year past the knee injury, Bryan Westbrook is still the best RB in franchise history, the OL is still good, and Reid has to have more focus than last year.

It probably won't, of course... but what the hell. Why watch sports if you refuse to hope that you're wrong?

2008 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:47:39 -0500

Tiered tight end rankings for the 2008 fantasy football season.

Preview: Preseason Game 1 Arizona (0-0) vs. New Orleans (0-0)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:35:29 -0500

Each week preceding each game, preseason and regular season I will preview that week's particular game. This week, the Arizona Cardinals start the preseason, at home, against the New Orleans Saints. When: Thursday August 7th, 5pm, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ TV/Radio: ESPN - National; KTVK-TV3 - Local; KTAR 620AM What to look for - New Orleans: This should really be who to look for. New Orleans is reportedly prepared to sit at least nine regulars for this game, including receiver Marques Colston, receiver Devery Henderson, running back Deuce McAllister, and newly acquired tight end Jeremy Shockey. Coach Sean Payton indicated that we should expect to see the regular starters who are suting up, to see about 20 plays of action before giving way to the reserves. What to look for - Arizona: Receiver Anquan Boldin will not play due to his injured hamstring. Rookie receiver Early Doucet also plans to sit out the preseason opener on Thursday. Quarterback Matt Leinart said he expects to play at least a couple of series. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said that the quarterbacks will go as the offensive line will go. Key Matchup: This game is more about the reserves. Kurt Warner and Brian St. Pierre should see the bulk of the quarterback action. It will be interesting to especially see if St. Pierre gets into the game and how he will perform against the Saints reserves on national television. Preseason or not, this may be many players only opportunity to shine. Some players may be playing for the benefit of others teams should they not hook with their current employers. Cards-pourri: The game is a sellout, meaning it will air locally live both on ESPN and KTVK-3. If you plan on attending the game and usually tailgate at Sportsman Park in the grass, please be advised that the grass area will be off-limits for this game and the Denver game on August 29th. There is newly planted grass and sod needs time to settle. Officials state you may still tailgate in the areas around the grass, just not directly on it. The grass should be ready for the home opener against Miami on September 14th. Prediciton: Arizona 20 New Orleans 17 GO CARDS! Scott Allen AZScott

Fantasy Football Roundtable - "Who Would You Rather Own in 2008"

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:52:48 -0500

It's that time of the year again folks. It's August, and that means fantasy football drafts will be in full swing starting this weekend! I bet alot of you reading this article will be drafting within the next 7-10 days, and we wish you the BEST of luck. With that being said, we want you to dominate your fantasy football draft in 2008, so Bruno Boys Fantasy Football writers Marc Caviglia, Chris Ziza and Larry Joseph give you their expert analysis on which players they are targeting heading into 2008.... Reggis Bush or Maurice Jones-Drew Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh Reggie Wayne or Randy Moss Jeremy Shockey or Kellen Winslow and more.....

Don?t Worry The Saints Will Be Ready Come Regular Season

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:25:43 -0500

There have been allot of questions, the last few months on how much injuries will affect the 2008 season for the New Orleans Saints. Deuce McAllister is by far a big component of the Saints offense, without a big bruising back coming out of the backfield; the Saints will only have a passing game. It will not take long to find a way to defend against Drew Brees, if Deuce is not in the line up. He has looked good so far, with minor swelling, and all reports have him ready to march in come September. One of the biggest defensive pickups for the Saints this off season was Jonathan Vilma; he also has been questionable coming off from injury. The success of the Defense weighs heavily on him being on the field.. He has been impressive so far, and his limited reps, should not hinder his ability to step in, and provide the tough leadership the Saints need on the defensive side of the ball. Mike McKenzie has been slow to return, but looks to be close. The big question for him, will be has he lost a step? The only consolation is the depth the Saints have in proven veterans, and young emerging talent at the corner back position. If there is one thing the Saints are not lacking, is depth at each position. The battle to make the roster as a special team?s player is going to be tough. The number two, and three wide out position is still in question or at least who will be lining up, look for Meachem and Patten to hold down those spots. After that, it will depend on who has the best preseason. Copper, Henderson, Arrington, Green and Moore, are all going to be doing their best to impress Coach Payton. Don?t look for Jeremy Shockey to see allot of playing time either in August. Campbell, and Miller, along with Ortega will see most of the reps at the tightend position. As far as the running backs, Pierre Thomas will use every chance he gets to prove he was not a one hit wonder from last years Bears game, and can help make a difference in the Saints running game. Aarron Stecker will also be trying to solidify his place. Since New Orleans is a pass first offense, Coach Payton and gang may look to cut down the depth at running back in order to hold onto another receiver. The offensive line is healthy, there is no question about the starting five, the preseason will give second year players, tackle Jermon Bushros, guard Andy Alleman, and this years draft pick Carl Nicks, a chance to show they will be able to step up, in case one of the incumbents go down. Defensive injuries have hampered some players from practicing at each position as noted earlier with Vilma, and McKenzie. The defensive line has had a case of sore knees, and second round draft pick Tracy Porter suffered a minor hamstring pull that is holding him back from getting those precious reps he needs to make him a possible CB2 or nickel starter. But don?t worry people, the preseason is just starting, and as it looks, as if everyone is healing fine, and most of the holdouts are only precautionary. Look for the Saints to come marching in and ready to go full force when it?s time and the score counts.

2008 NY Giants: Addition Through Subtraction

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:36:55 -0500

The perception is that the NY Giants lost too much this past offseason to seriously compete in 2008. Guess again. This team is young, talented, deep and dangerous....

Top 20 NFL Tightends

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:13:13 -0500

A detailed look at the top 20 Fantasy NFL tight ends going into the 2008 season.

Early View of the NFC Playoffs

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:44:40 -0500

While the AFC might have the top teams in the NFL, the race for the six spots in the NFC playoffs could be more exciting than the Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal final Wimbledon match...

BOBBLEHEAD ABSURDITY

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:06:33 -0500

by Scott Sargent, Waiting For Next Year

If you're at Progressive Field next Monday evening, you will be the proud new owner of a Jhonny Peralta bobblehead doll. You got it, the .270-hitting shortstop of the Indians, that has about as much range as Manuel Uribe. But the only catch is, I'm not so sure that this thing actually looks like Jhonny Peralta. Coco Crisp? Maybe. Peralta? Not so much.

So, I took it upon myself to check out some of the more absurd bobbleheads around. Whether they look nothing like the person that they are replicating, or have strange characteristics - like, real hair for example - they're making the list. There are countless ones out there, so feel free to help me out after the post. Do enjoy.

Kyle Korver

While it is very apropos to have Korver shooting, perhaps the creators of this guy could have done without the Ken Doll hair? They could have skipped the lipstick as well, since Korver already needs all of the help he can get to shed the whole Ashton Kutcher thing.

I'm actually surprised that the Cavaliers' brass didn't do something similar with Anderson Varejao. Don't count it out for this season.

Dirk Nowitzki

What the hell is that on his face? I'm sure The Diggler was absolutely thrilled to see a bobblehead that depicted him as a rent-for-kids-birthdays circus clown. If it wasn't for the #41 on his jersey, I would truly have to guess "Shawn Bradley" before I'd say Dirk's name.

Oh...that's right. The knee-high shoes should have been the dead giveaway. And again with the lipstick. What's with that?

Kaz Matusi

Matusi is Asian, right? I don't think you need to get all stereotypical with this one and give him a calculator or something, but at least make him look somewhat Asian - I don't think that's too much to ask.

Again, if it wasn't for the jersey name and number, would you be able to guess who this even was? Not I. Add some anal fissures, and we'll talk.

Jeremy Shockey

First, he's in uniform. When's the last time you saw that. Now if it was a bobblehead of Shockey sitting in a suite watching the game, then I'd be more on board.

Second, something's off with the hair. The color maybe? This one is a bit more Dirk Nowitzki than the actual Dirk Nowitzki bobblehead. And is that a mole?

LeBron James

Okay, so he has a headband. That's about all. No tattoos. No facial hair - something he even had in high school. (Yes, I know - because he's not really 23-years old)

I'm scratching my head to try and figure out who this really does look like. Part of me wants to say Eric Snow, but I'm not sold. Feel free to take your guesses in the comments.

Breaking Down 2008 Fantasy Football by Position

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:35:54 -0500

It?s late July and that means fantasy football is getting ready to kick off.. Some players are going to come out of nowhere and flat out dominate. Some older players who used to be studs will fall off and some players will be affected by a coaching staff change or a quarterback that leaves town. It is all ways wise to do some research before walking into a draft. The NFL is a copy cat league and there are some trends popping up fantasy owners should keep their eyes on. First running back by committee a lot have teams have made the switch. Darren McFadden or Justin Fargas would be fine backs to have but both players will split time at least early on and they will take carries away from each other. The only team that can pull that off is Jacksonville Fred Taylor and MJD are both worthy of consideration. When looking for a back stay away from Denver, Miami, Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Detroit. The fullback is dead and has given birth to the slot receiver. Wes Welker redefined the position last year and put up crazy fantasy numbers. Expect more teams to follow the trend. If you have a receiver go down to injury or some of them end up on the same bye week you can find value on the waiver wire. The third wide out on a pass happy team won?t be a long term solution but can get you by in a stop gap situation. Last but not least teams that have classified their quarterbacks as game managers are teams that don?t have a fantasy worthy quarterback. Game Manager means 10 of 17 passing 123 yards and no touchdowns. When you think game manager think Damon Huard. Be aware of the unstable quarterback situations in Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Baltimore and San Francisco. Quarterback 1.Tom Brady- New England Patriots 2.Peyton Manning- Indianapolis Colts 3.Tony Romo- Dallas Cowboys 4.Carson Palmer- Cincinnati Bengals 5.Drew Brees- New Orleans Saints 6. Derek Anderson- Cleveland Browns 7.Eli Manning- New York Giants 8.Ben Roethisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers 9.Phillip Rivers- San Diego Chargers 10.Marc Bulger- St. Louis Rams 11.Donavon McNabb- Philadelphia Eagles 12. Matt Hasselbeck- Seattle Seahawks 13.Jake Delhomme- Carolina Panthers 14.Jeff Garcia- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15. Matt Lienart - Arizona Cardinals Running back 1.Ladanian Tomlinson- San Diego Chargers 2.Adrian Peterson- Minnesota Vikings 3.Brian Westbrook- Philadelphia Eagles 4. Marion Barber- Dallas Cowboys 5.Steven Jackson- St. Louis Rams 6.Larry Johnson- Kansas City Chiefs 7.Frank Gore- San Francisco 49ers 8.Joesph Addai- Indianapolis Colts 9.Clinton Portis- Washington Redskins 10.Marshawn Lynch- Buffalo Bills 11.Ryan Grant- Green Bay Packers 12.Willie Parker- Pittsburgh Steelers 13.Willis McGahee- Baltimore Ravens 14.Jamal Lewis- Cleveland Browns 15.Michael Turner- Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver 1.Randy Moss- New England Patriots 2.Terrell Owens- Dallas Cowboys 3.Andre Johnson- Houston Texans 4.Reggie Wayne- Indianapolis Colts 5.Braylon Edwards- Cleveland Browns 6.Chad Johnson- Cincinnati Bengals 7.Marques Colston- New Orleans Saints 8.Steve Smith- Carolina Panthers 9.Larry Fitzgerald- Arizona Cardinals 10.Plaxico Burress- New York Giants 11.Torry Holt- St. Louis Rams 12.Wes Welker- New England Patriots 13. T.J. Houshmandzadeh- Cincinnati Bengals 14.Roy Williams- Detroit Lions 15.Dwayne Bowe- Kansas City Chiefs Tight end 1.Antonio Gates- San Diego Chargers 2.Jason Witten- Dallas Cowboys 3.Tony Gonzalez- Kansas City Chiefs 4.Todd Heap- Baltimore Ravens 5.Jeremy Shockey- New Orleans Saints 6.Kellen Winslow- Cleveland Browns 7.Chris Cooley- Washington Redskins 8.Heath Miller- Pittsburgh Steelers 9. Ben Watson- New England Patriots 10.Dallas Clark- Indianapolis Colts 11Vernon Davis- San Francisco 49ers 12.Kevin Boss- New York Giants 13.Greg Olsen- Chicago Bears 14.Tony Scheffler- Denver Broncos 15.Alge Crumpler- Tennessee Titans Defense 1.New England Patriots 2.San Diego Chargers 3.Minnesota Vikings 4.Pittsburgh Steelers 5.Dallas Cowboys 6..Jacksonville Jaguars 7.Baltimore Ravens 8.Chicago Bears 9.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10.Washington Redskins 11.New York Giants 12.Green Bay Packers 13.Philadelphia Eagles 14.Indianapolis Colts 15.Seattle Seahawks Kicker 1.Stephen Gostkowski- New England Patriots 2.Adam Vinateri- Indianapolis Colts 3.Nick Folk- Dallas Cowboys 4.Nate Kaeding- San Diego Chargers 5.Mason Crosby- Green Bay Packers 6.Shayne Graham- Cincinnati Bengals 7.Rob Bironas- Tennessee Titans 8.Phil Dawson- Cleveland Browns 9.Neil Rackers- Arizona Cardinals 10.Jason Hanson- Detroit Lions 11.Josh Brown- St.Louis Rams 12.Jason Elam- Atlanta Falcons 13.Josh Scobee- Jacksonville Jaguars 14.Jeff Reed- Pittsburgh Steelers 15.Matt Stover- Baltimore Ravens Top 25 Overall 1.Ladanian Tomlinson- San Diego Chargers 2.Adrian Peterson- Minnesota Vikings 3.Tom Brady- New England Patriots 4.Brian Westbrook- Philadelphia Eagles 5.Peyton Manning- Indianapolis Colts 6.Randy Moss- New England Patriots 7.Steven Jackson- St. Louis Rams 8.Marion Barber- Dallas Cowboys 9.Tony Romo- Dallas Cowboys 10.Larry Johnson- Kansas City Chiefs 11.Terrell Owens- Dallas Cowboys 12.Frank Gore- San Francisco 49ers 13..Joesph Addai- Indianapolis Colts 14.Andre Johnson- Houston Texans 15.Reggie Wayne- Indianapolis Colts 16.Clinton Portis- Washington Redskins 17.Marshawn Lynch- Buffalo Bills 18.Ryan Grant- Green Bay Packers 19.Braylon Edwards- Cleveland Browns 20.Carson Palmer- Cincinnati Bengals 21.Willie Parker- Pittsburgh Steelers 22.Willis McGahee- Baltimore Ravens 23.Chad Johnson- Cincinnati Bengals 24.Marques Colston- New Orleans Saints 25.Drew Brees- New Orleans Saints

Will the Real New Orleans Saints Please Stand Up!

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:39:37 -0500

Let's face it, 2007 was a fluke. The Saints were one win away from playing in their first Super Bowl ever in 2006. They were preseason favorites to take it all the way in 2007. Then came the 0-4 start, and losing their prized running back Deuce McAllister did not help either. Then came the four-game winning streak, and everyone thought they were back from the dead. From that point on it was hit and miss. Missing the playoffs, and ending the season 7-9. What happened? First, it was the inconsistent play from Reggie Bush. Bush just could not give the Saints the edge in the running game, and Coach Payton was forced to go to the air. Then you had the Saints defense not even showing up for games. You cannot expect to win football games by giving up (14) 20-plus-yard rushes and (54) 20-plus-yard completions. This was clearly due to a defensive player being out of place, or just having the completely wrong defense called. I myself thought the defensive play calling was extremely bad last year. As bad as the defense played last year, the Saints still had a chance to win. Drew Brees and the Saints offense still put up great numbers, Marques Colston had a pro bowl year, and had Bush not been hurt, the Saints may have made it to the playoffs. The season is over though, and the what if's are said and done. The 2008 season is almost here, and even though there are still some big questions to be answered on both sides of the ball health wise, the Saints are ready to come marching in. The Saints have a great balance of veteran and young players in all positions. Drew Brees is one of the top five QBs in the NFL right now. Mark Brunell is a seasoned veteran, and will provide sound advice to both Brees and second year man Tyler Palko. Reggie Bush has now got the "Hollywood" out of his system. He had a disappointing sophomore season, and has yet to produce like he did while at USC. This year he will be focused, and more patient. He is going into his third year, and knows that unless he starts to produce, he will not be seeing any contract extensions in his future. Jeremy Shockey is a proven play-maker as long as he stays healthy. Along with his play he adds a dimension that the Saints have been lacking the last two seasons. David Patten was said to have helped Meachem this offseason. Patten has not had a stellar career in 12 seasons, but he has been consistent, and holds three Super Bowl rings while with the Patriots. He definitely is qualified to lend some advice to a possible future star in Meachem. What makes this such a great story is the fact that Meachem will be challenging Patten for the second wide receiver position. Patten is a stand up guy in my book. Then you have pro bowl tackle Jammal Brown to mentor the young guys on the offensive line. Jahri Evans is already making waves going into his third year as a Saint. Back ups Jermon Bushrod and Carl Nicks will also benefit from the first string talent. On the defensive side of the ball, you have young veterans in Smith and Grant. Smith just signed a huge contract extension, and Grant is in the second year of his huge pay day. Both did not have great years last season, but with rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis finally coming on board, they will not want to be showed up by the young up and comer. I did not loose any sleep with the Ellis holdout; defensive tackle is probably the easiest position to learn and with Smith, Grant, Thomas, Young, and McCray all there, Ellis will be able to pick their brains and should fit right in. As for the linebackers, Fujita and Simoneau are the veterans, and the acquisition of Jonathan Vilma is sure to give them a spark. The defensive backs have got the most balance in terms of years in the league, while the only standout in the group is Mike McKenzie. He is getting older with nine years in the league. Arron Glenn is the grandfather of the bunch, and with 14 years of experience, he is sure to bring a wealth of knowledge to the position. I am sure that is exactly what the front office had in mind when they signed him. Harper is coming into form, and with some tweaking he is not far from being great. Others like Usama Young and rookie Tracy Porter will all benefit from the veteran guys. I am also impressed by the addition to the coaching staff. Coach Orgeron is fierce, and his personality will rub off on everyone. So yes, there are some reservations when it comes to saying the Saints have what it takes to have a repeat of the 2006 season, but I truly believe that 2007 was a fluke, and that the 2008 season will prove that the Saints are Super Bowl contenders.

Fantasy Football TE Preview

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:11:22 -0500

The Tight End position in football is one of the more underrated spots in a fantasy football team. Over the past few years, top tier TE's have been putting up Wide Receiver type numbers. It may be worth it to draft a top 5 TE over a WR who's rated in the 20-25 area of his position. It is also important to grab one of the better TE's because there is a lack of depth at this position. Last year, the number 6 ranked TE had 53 more fantasy points (According to Yahoo! Sports scoring system) than the number 7 ranked TE. Here are the top 15 TE for the 2008 fantasy season: 1. Antonio Gates SD 2. Jason Whitten DAL 3. Tony Gonzalez KC 4. Kellen Winslow CLE 5. Dallas Clark IND 6. Chris Cooley WSH 7. Jeremy Shockey NO 8. Heath Miller PIT 9. Todd Heap BAL 10. Vernon Davis SF 11. Owen Daniels HOU 12. Benjamin Watson NE 13. Alge Crumpler TEN 14. Tony Scheffler DEN 15. Greg Olsen CHI Antonio Gates will retake his number 1 Tight End spot from Jason Whitten with an outstanding season this year. Gates, who played injured last year, finished 3rd in TE fantasy points and though is still fighting through that same toe injury, is primed to have a big year and help his Chargers make it to the Super Bowl. The one danger here is that as of right now, Gates is on the PUP List (Physically Unable to Perform) which means if they don't take him off of it before the season starts, he will be forced to sit out the first 6 games. Personally, I don't see Gates missing that much time and according to reports, he is working with trainers and is very optimistic he will play the season opener. The first 6 players on this list are all worthy of a higher draft choice, even considering a healthy Gates in the last 3rd round of your drafts. Jeremy Shockey is a mystery. His fantasy production has been as high as the number 2 ranked TE, all the way down to number 13 in recent years. With a change of scenery, Shockey will have a good season and perhaps even vault himself into the top 6 of the TE list. Another interesting TE that can have a top 6 type year is Todd Heap. Heap has had healthy issues and that has led to his statistics taking a drastic drop, especially last season. Hopefully he can be the safety net for young QBS Troy Smith and Joe Flacco and get back to his 2005-2006 production. Look for a solid season for Titans TE Alge Crumpler. Titans QB Vince Young has struggled with his passing efficiency since he began his career. The Titans didn't upgrade their WR group because they believed Crumpler fit the style of play for the team and their young quarterback. Young will lean on Crumpler because it is the first time he has had a proven veteran catching passes for him and Crumpler is very good at creating space with his body and finding open spots in a defense. Here are 3 Tight Ends to look at this season: Zach Miller OAK- An Arizona St. grad, Miller was a 2nd round pick in 2007 by the Raiders and as he got more playing time, he garnered more attention from fantasy owners looking for a fill-in TE. His last game of the year was an 8 catch 84 yd day and he should perform better with more experience this year. With JaMarcus Russel, Darren McFadden, and Javon Walker getting most of the attention by the bay, look for Miller to sneak in with some nice games of his own and can be worth picking to be a starting TE for the entire season. L.J. Smith PHI- L.J. had one of the more disappointing seasons for a fantasy TE last year. He came in with a lot of expectations but injury and a lack of looks his way by Donovan Mcnabb hurt his statistics. Mcnabb developed a lot of chemistry with WR Kevin Curtis, but his other receivers didn't perform as well as predicted. As teams will start to shade safeties and linebackers over to Curtis, Smith should see more holes in the defense and can use his athleticism to stretch the field. Don't expect a great year from L.J., but look to see respectable statistics that could put him back in the top 15 TE rankings by the end of the year. Kevin Boss NYG/Dustin Keller NYJ- Now I know these are technically 2 people but just give me a break it's a fantasy football article. Boss moves into the starting job and all reports out of Giants camp so far is that he is catching everything thrown his way. In his last game of the regular season vs. NE last year, Boss had 4 catches along with 50 yds and a TD. The Giants need to use the TE occasionally to be successful and look for Boss to have an adequate season. As for the other team that plays in that stadium, rookie TE Dusin Keller is going to fight with Chris Baker for playing time. It will be very important for Keller to have a good training camp and preseason and to develop a relationship with starting (For now) QB Chad Pennington. Keller has the ability to do well in the Jets offensive system but he needs the snaps to get used to the speed of the NFL game.