Yardbarker: Leon Washington

Fantasy Football Sleeper Rankings - Running Back Sleepers

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:34:55 -0500

So I will quit wasting your time and let you absorb everything that we at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football have to throw at you when it comes to sleepers and undervalued running backs heading into 2008. Ranking System: The higher the "Snooze Alarm" Ranking, the more sleeper value the player has. To see who makes our list, click below...

Fantasy Football Roundtable - Draft Day Player Advice

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:43:11 -0500

Welcome to this years Draft Edition of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Round Table. The Draft Edition Round Table is broken down into three segments so be sure to check back often so you don't miss a thing! The guest columnists will be Larry Joseph, Marc Caviglia and Chris Ziza. The topics on hand that will be discussed during these segments will include : personal strategies for Draft Day preparation, a rundown of a handful of similar players and who we would rather own, moves around the NFL that could affect fantasy football as well as well as the players we feel will have a breakthrough/comeback year and the potential bust players of 2008. Without further adieu, let's jump into the first segment of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football roundtable.

Breakout Running Backs - Part Two

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:09:50 -0500

In our earlier article on breakout running backs we looked at statistics and used criterions to improve our chances of finding a breakout running back. In this article we looked at the candidates for 2008 and tell you which ones we believe are most likely to breakout and which are worth drafting based on their average draft position.

NFL Fantasy Draft Guide: Breaking Down the Backs 80s Sitcom Style

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:36:53 -0500

Fantasy football drafts are right around the corner, so who looks to be the hits and misses? This guide's a long read, but it's in-depth, and it channels the wayback machine for some who are older than they'd like to admit (or buy lots of old DVDs).

AccuScore: FFL Draft Strategies - PPR Leagues

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:58:31 -0500

If you're looking for a change of pace from the usual standard leagues, why not try points per reception leagues. Tim Williams gives you his draft strategies for each position in PPR leagues.

Top 10 Sleepers

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:50:59 -0500

In this new top ten we look at sleeper candidates for the 2008 season. Our top ten sleepers are players that could breakout and most are also very safe bets to outperform their average draft position. Find out why Leon Washington is number one on our list and who else we believe will surprise in 2008.

NY Jets Fantasy Depth Chart

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:07:34 -0500

Thomas Jones has the potential to be a top sleeper pick in this year's drafts now that the Jets have made some significant upgrades to their offensive line. Check out this fantasy depth chart article to see which Jets will be worth drafting and when.

2008 Fantasy Football Projections- New York Jets

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:27:24 -0500

After coming off an impressive 10-6 campaign in 2006, everyone thought the New York Jets would compete with the New England Patriots for the AFC East title, but inconsistency on both sides of the football led to a disappointing 2007 season. The Jets finished with a 4--12 record, lost eight of their first 9 games and failed to win consecutive games. A big issues that led to the Jets downfall was the play at quarterback. Chad Pennington started the season under center, but battled injury as well as rocky play which eventually led to the Kellen Clemens era in New York. However, Clemens failed to find his groove and could manage just five touchdown passes in 10 games. Newly acquired running back Thomas Jones surpassed the 1,000 rushing yard mark, but it took him twelve games until he scored his first touchdown in a Jets uniform. To read the rest more about what Bruno Boys Co-Owner Marc Caviglia has to say about the New York Jets and their fantasy football projections for the 2008 season, click below...

MANUFACTURED JOY - NEW YORK JETS

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:30:15 -0500

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

Manufactured Joy is a series in which we'll be going through the NFL team by team, from the bottom to the top, and giving fans five good reasons why they should be excited to watch their team in action this season. Today, the New York Jets.

1. Gh-Gh-Gh-GHOLSTON!

Crappy old cartoon references aside, DE Vernon Gholston, who will likely be converted to an OLB in the Jets 3-4 scheme, is the most high risk/high reward player of the draft. At various points, scouts had him being considered with the number one overall pick. As it turns out, he went as low as he could have gone (given who was on the board), and the Jets may have gotten the draft's best player at the sixth pick. Then again, they could have also gotten its biggest bust. Gholston's physical gifts are well known; pound for pound, there was not a single athlete in this draft more naturally gifted. Equally obvious is his potential for taking games over, as when he wanted to, he was unstoppable (the game against Michigan was a thing of beauty). The trouble is that both his natural gifts and his drive to overpower opponents seemed to disappear inexplicably at times. The optimistic outlook is that it's hard to stay motivated to compete when you can beat the competition without trying that hard, and that a move to the pros with the right coaching will only allow Gholston to find new ways to use his physical gifts. The pessimistic side of that coin is that if he wasn't that motivated to consistently perform in order to get to the league, why should we assume he'll suddenly turn it on now that money has started falling from the sky. Still, he's entering the right system, with a coach who once showed an amazing ability to get the most out of his personnel (Mangini's first year was remarkable for what he did with that defense). Whether he can get it together or not, he chance that he might makes him worth watching this season.

2. The Jets didn't get McFadden!

And yes, I do mean that as a positive. I really like McFadden, but this defense needed the kind of kick in the ass that Gholston has the potential to give it. Don't get me wrong, I think every team should have the kind of fast, sneaky back who can turn short receptions into home runs and confuse defenses…and the Jets already have that in "Neon" Leon Washington. For those of you who have missed out on the steal of the 2006 draft, Washington is basically Reggie Bush except several million dollars cheaper. He can run, he can catch passes, he returns kicks, and the Jets even lined him up and ran the option every once in a while last year (further raising the question: WHY DO THEY STILL HAVE BRAD SMITH?!?). It was bad enough last year when it looked like Mangini and the gang were trying to find ways to ignore their offense's most potent threat, and getting McFadden would have made it worse. The NFL isn't about saving special talents for every sixth play; it's about wringing them dry and bathing in the glory. Year three is where Washington gets some recognition for the speed he shows at his position, not just kick returns.

3. Cautious optimism regarding Thomas Jones!

Dear Thomas Jones,

I know in the past I've said some negative things about you. Ok, I've said some very negative things about you. Ok, there may or may not be a tag on my blog labeled "Zac's Hatred" in which you get top billing. That's neither here nor there. What's important is that I am tentatively, cautiously, anxiously optimistic about your upcoming season. I mean, when you had a very good offensive line to run behind in Chicago, you were a thoroughly above-average back. Hell, you averaged over four yards a carry. I can't even imagine that. Literally, I can't picture you taking a ball and moving forward with it more than four yards without my ears starting to bleed. Still, it happened. And it can happen again. The Jets brought in OG Alan Faneca (who is also an offensive guard), and with both C Nick Mangold and LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson entering their third year, the line, or at least the left side of the line, could be very, very good. So how about this: I'll stop saying mean things about you, and you stop being…well…being like you. Deal.

4. Handsome Chad for QB!

It is such bullshit that Tom Brady gets all the "dreamboat" talk, because everyone who watches AFC East football knows that the real catch of the division is Chad Pennington. Sure, Brady is a good looking guy, and he's easy to fall in love with; then he knocks you up and disappears into the vapors leaving a trail of smoke and a press release saying "we're thrilled to work together on this." Meanwhile, Chad Pennington is the kind of gee shucks guy you can bring home to mom. Also, he's not a bad QB. Say what you will about his arm strength, but they didn't lose last year because of his shoulder surgeries (they lost because it's not fair to ask ANY quarterback, no matter how strong, to consistently put up 30 or more). Hell, with the same arm he was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2006. Furthermore, he's also the smartest QB on the roster, and is likely to have more time to work through his reads, which is always a good thing for an intelligent QB. Chad is still an incredibly accurate QB who has no problems working a mid range pass, and really, who on this team is catching the deep stuff anyway? I like Laveranues Coles, but he's still the best number two receiver trapped in a number one spot, and nothing more. The fact that the Jets didn't really make any moves to improve the pass game (outside of the obvious move of dropping Justin McCareins) means that the mid range pass is king once more in NY, and the best man for that job is Handsome Chad.

5. But if not him, then The American Dream Kellen Clemens for QB!

Let me tell you all the story of a young man named Kellen Clemens, who grew up in a small town in Oregon and got on a bus with nothing but a lunchbox, a big arm, and a dream, and left in search of stardom in the bright lights of New York City. Coming back to reality, year one of the Kellen Clemens experiment, perhaps its only year, was a rough one. Like, worst QB rating in the league rough. Like, throw one TD pass to ten interceptions rough. Still, it's not entirely fair to judge Clemens on one half-season in which an already out of the playoffs team was thrown on his back, the defense was miserable, the offensive line was in shambles, Thomas Jones was his running back (crap…forget I said that, Thomas), Justin McCareins was special olympicizing his way through his number two receiver role, and, well, he really didn't seem ready to start. The truth is, Clemens showed, in spurts, the kind of athleticism that can buy time in the pocket, and there's no question about his arm strength (seriously, Kellen, not everything has to come out hot…we know you've got the strongest arm on the team). Personally, I'm a Chad fan, but I wouldn't be surprised if Clemens is able to turn a revamped line and a year under center into smarter decisions and a productive use of his many athletic gifts. Besides, QB BATTLE IN THE PARKING LOT!!!

Thomas Jones: 2008 Fantasy Sleeper

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:55:11 -0500

With an improved offensive line, and little backfield competition, Thomas Jones is due for a bounce back season.

The Wire: Week 14

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:19:15 -0500

Wow, I'm glad I'm a Patriots fan and not a Ravens fan after last nights game. Imagine the feeling those players had when they thought they had the game won…then realized that one of their coaches had called a time out? Ouch! Alright, that's enough rubbing it in. I was definitely on an emotional roller coaster watching that one though…let's hope the rest of their undefeated season is a lot less exciting (as they return to blowing out teams!) Anyways, the playoffs start this week in most leagues, so hopefully you have earned a spot in your league's tournament. In case you're in search of some last minute players to snag off the waiver wire that could help your team advance, here you go…

Top 15 NFL Kick/Punt Returners

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:38:08 -0500

I think that this is a very interesting list, but we all know who is number one. 1.Devin Hester 2.Josh Cribbs 3.Pacman Jones 4.Leon Washington 5.Darren Sproles 6.Roscoe Parrish 7.Jacoby Jones 8.Maurice Jones-Drew 9.Jerious Norwood 10.Nate Burleson 11.Allen Rossum 12.Yamon Figurs 13.Ted Ginn Jr. 14.Dante Hall 15.Steve Breaston

Is Leon Washington Flipping off the League in this picture???

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:43:33 -0500

Is New York Jets RB Leon Washington flipping off the league in this picture?? See www.roto-world.com for the picture.

Know Your Opponent: New York Jets

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:32:24 -0500

New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini took the reins of a team that had produced a 4-12 mark in 2005. Quickly making a significant difference, Mangini guided the Jets to an impressive 10-6 mark and a Wild Card playoff spot last season. More impressive is the fact that the Jets are a young team that plays sound in all 3 phases of the game. The Jets' roster features four Pro Bowl performers in wide receiver Laveranues Coles, defensive end Shaun Ellis, inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma and right safety Justin Miller. This group doesn't include S Kerry Rhodes, one of the emerging stars in the NFL. Almost half of the Jets' starting lineup is made up of first-round choices. This elite group includes 4 on offense: left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, center Nick Mangold, quarterback Chad Pennington and running back Thomas Jones, who teams with running back Leon Washington to give New York one of the best 1-2 backfield punches in the NFL. Three of the four starters on the defensive line were selected in the first round. Those players include Ellis, nose tackle Dewayne Robertson and defensive end and outside linebacker Bryan Thomas. Read more: http://extremeravens.com/gameday/know_your_opponent/know_your_opponent%3a_new_york_jets_20070915871/

Jets Practice 3, Day 2

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:41:33 -0500

Leon Washington was excused from today's practice for personal reasons. This following an absence from Friday's afternoon session after becoming ill during the morning practice. No further information was relayed from Eric Mangini. On the Jets' official website, Randy Lange tells us that coach Mangini gave kudos to D'Brickashaw Ferguson today, stating that D'Brick is "one guy who had a really good off-season, did a lot of work on his own, in the weightroom and the program, with his nutrition, working with the coaches and Lomas Brown [at minicamp]."