http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3950 Recent articles about Kellen Winslow en-us As the Browns (and their fans) gear up to take on the Jets during the first week of preseason football, Lane Adkins from the Orange and Brown report has plenty of updates for those in need of last minute information. One issue that has been tossed about over the last few days is in regard to the injury of tight end Kellen Winslow. K2 has spent the last week or so on the sidelines during team drills, forcing some rumor mill mongers to question the infamous knee. You know, the one that has been a chief concern for those considering giving the tight end a new contract? But with all of the possibilities out there, Lane shares the following: There has been speculation that TE Kellen Winslow has an issue with his knee and this is the reasoning behind him sitting out some training camp sessions. Let it be known, the coaching staff is well aware of the pre-existing condition of the knee and his practice schedules dictates his time on the field. He is given time off by the staff, but the last couple days Winslow has been out due to a hamstring issue. The surgically repaired knee has not prohibited the TE from competing as much as the coaching staff's involvement has. So, while the knee may keep the big man out of a few practices this season, it appears that the coaching staff has been monitoring this situation very closely. Given the depth issues at wide receiver, any missed time by Winslow would be a huge blow to the Browns offense - and the coaching staff knows this. Adkins has plenty of other updates regarding said receiving corps as well as the established rotation among the linebackers. You can bet that all eyes will be on guys like Travis Wilson and rookie Alex Hall this very evening. Only six and a half hours 'till kickoff… Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:10:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302513 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302513 The Browns will open their preseason schedule tonight as they will host the New York Jets.  Head Coach Romeo Crennel is planning on playing his starters for the first quarter before giving way to the reserves.  Several players are expected to miss tonight's game including tight ends Kellen Winslow and Steve Heiden, wide receiver Kevin [...] Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:35:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302388 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302388 The Browns will open their preseason schedule tonight as they will host the New York Jets.  Head Coach Romeo Crennel is planning on playing his starters for the first quarter before giving way to the reserves.  Several players are expected to miss tonight's game including tight ends Kellen Winslow and Steve Heiden, wide receiver Kevin [...] Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:35:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302388 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302388 I thought I might spend the next few columns here at A Librarian's Touch looking at some positions on your fantasy team that you might be glossing over in your draft prep. So, today let's look at the tight end and where you might be able to snag some serious value with your TE spot. Much like QBs this year, there are really only two or three TEs that are truly top tier going into the season: Jason Witten and Kellen Winslow. Perennial favorite Antonio Gates could be listed there as well, but there are lingering concerns about his recovery from foot surgery, making him a bit more of a risk than in past years. Gates hasn't practiced yet this season and says he'll only come back if he's "ready to contribute" to the team. To read more, click the link... Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:49:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302296 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302296 It looks as if Joshua Cribbs wants to already restructure his contract, one he just signed before the start of the 2007 season mind you. It appears that the Gary Baxter era is all but over in Cleveland.  Baxter underwent surgery Tuesday to clean out the cartilage in one of his knees. Another day and another story of how much Travis Wilson has impressed and looks to be a lock as the 3rd WR this season, in his 3rd pro season, after being virtually invisible the past two seasons. Tight end Steve Heiden, offensive lineman Seth McKinney, fullback Lawrence Vickers, linebacker Beau Bell, and receiver Kevin Kasper are all expected to not participate in tomorrow's game.  And tight end Kellen Winslow Jr, and punt/kick returner Joshua Cribbs are doubtful at this point. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:13:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301979 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301979 Tiered tight end rankings for the 2008 fantasy football season. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:47:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301879 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301879 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..... Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:52:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301647 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301647 I had a feeling that the whole Devin Hester sideshow would somehow come back to haunt us. First, it was the Buffalo Bills that extended their return man, Roscoe Parrish, during the end of last season to the tune of three years, $12.3 million. Then Hester got a new deal thrown his way, but one that is considerably larger: four years, $40 million with $15 million guaranteed. Even though Cribbs signed a six-year contract just last year, he apparently is none too pleased with the fact that he signed a deal that brought him about $1 million per year. Since then Cribbs has led the NFL in total return yards, in addition to leading the Browns in special teams tackles last year. Now, according to sources, Cribbs and his representation are seeking a pay increase and recently approached the Browns about their desire for a new deal. [...] It's unknown at this point what type of deal Cribbs is seeking. But based on his production, it's likely Cribbs wants a contract comparable to Hester's in terms of guaranteed money. Just to backtrack a bit, Hester's guaranteed money is more than the amount of Cribbs' entire six-year compensation. And to reiterate, this compensation plan was signed off by Cribbs just last year. James Walker reminds us all that we have recently allocated a substantial amount of money to Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis and Shaun Rodgers. Couple this with the fact that Kellen Winslow will likely be due a new deal if he stays healthy this season, and the front office may need to tell Cribbs to "get in line." Sure, NFL deals are not guaranteed, so the team could cut him just as easy had he not lived up to his contract. But simply because other teams are willing to shell out late first-round draft choice money to their return men does not necessarily mean that we should be doing the same. Do I think Cribbs is underpaid at his current level of pay? Sure I do. But do I think he'll be getting $15 million guaranteed? That's a different story. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:10:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301260 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301260 Browns rookie linebacker Beau Bell missed the evening practice on Monday with a sore knee, but says it's nothing serious and should return to practice today. Tight end Kellen Winslow has missed the past four workouts with a sore hamstring and could be limited in Thursday's game against the Jets, if he plays at all. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:13:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301110 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301110 Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs wants to restructure his contract with the Cleveland Browns, multiple sources have told ESPN.com. But progress has been slow this summer because Cribbs has five years remaining on his current deal. Cribbs signed a six-year contract worth just under $6 million before the 2007 season. Since then Cribbs has led the NFL in total return yards, in addition to leading the Browns in special teams tackles last year. Now, according to sources, Cribbs and his representation are seeking a pay increase and recently approached the Browns about their desire for a new deal. Perhaps prompting even more urgency is the recent contract for Chicago Bears kick returner Devin Hester, who received a four-year extension worth up $40 million with $15 million guaranteed. Both Cribbs and Hester are widely regarded as the top special teams players in their respective conferences, yet there is a big salary disparity between the two. Hester's average annual salary was bumped up to approximately $5.5 million, compared to Cribbs' annual average of $997,000. It's unknown at this point what type of deal Cribbs is seeking. But based on his production, it's likely Cribbs wants a contract comparable to Hester's in terms of guaranteed money. Cleveland is considered one of the up-and-coming teams in the NFL, coming off a 10-6 season that saw seven players make the Pro Bowl in 2007. But success also came with a price as players such as quarterback Derek Anderson, running back Jamal Lewis and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers all received sizable deals with Cleveland this offseason. Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. also has expressed displeasure with his current contract. But general manager Phil Savage said publicly in June that the team is at or near its budget. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:49:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301096 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301096 A detailed look at the top 20 Fantasy NFL tight ends going into the 2008 season. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:13:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300623 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300623 BEREA, Ohio - Quinn Clarke was wearing a maize University of Michigan cap and the No. 17 Wolverines jersey of his hero. But the grinning 8-year-old boy wanted Braylon Edwards to autograph something else. "You really want me to sign your head?" a startled Edwards asked during a private meet-and-greet with Quinn's family Thursday afternoon inside the Cleveland Browns' fieldhouse. Quinn reaffirmed the request, removing his hat to reveal a skull left bald from the ravages of chemotherapy. Edwards graciously obliged, inking his name atop Quinn's noggin. The bonding between the two doesn't end there. While the commitment and sacrifices required for NFL stardom can't compare to the physical and emotional strength needed to battle a life-threatening ailment, Quinn and Edwards do share a common trait: perseverance. Originally diagnosed with cancer at the age of 2, Quinn has beaten the disease before and received encouragement from Edwards toward doing so again following a recent recurrence. As for Edwards, the wide receiver's challenge was overcoming some of the obstacles that others atop his draft class couldn't. After a breakthrough campaign last season, Edwards is the only top 10 selection from 2005 to have reached the Pro Bowl. Four of those picks — running back Cedric Benson (Chicago, No. 4), cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones (Tennessee, No. 6), and wide receivers Troy Williamson (Minnesota, No. 7) and Mike Williams (Detroit, No. 10) — are no longer on the team that drafted them. Four others — running backs Ronnie Brown (Miami, No. 2) and Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay, No. 5) and defensive backs Antrel Rolle (Arizona, No. 8) and Carlos Rogers (Washington, No. 9) — have suffered serious knee injuries. And the biggest bust of all was the player chosen first: San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, who is fighting for a starting job this season against NFL Europa alumni Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan. "Alex shouldn't have been the No. 1 overall pick," Edwards said when asked to reflect upon his draft class. "That was a situation where (the 49ers) were desperate for a quarterback." Edwards offered more candid thoughts on why the other picks flopped. Edwards said Williamson "never was proven (in college). He was a guy who ran extremely fast at the (NFL Scouting) Combine, so that put him on the radar." Edwards also pinpointed Mike Williams' weight problems as the reason he is currently out of football. "At this level, you can't play at 250 pounds at receiver," Edwards said. "It's not going to happen." For two seasons, the Browns wondered what would happen with Edwards. He too suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a rookie and generated more headlines for his immaturity than on-field exploits. Edwards defied head coach Romeo Crennel in 2006 by attending a Michigan-Ohio State football game in Columbus, causing him to arrive late for yet another team meeting on the eve of a Cleveland-Pittsburgh match-up. Edwards publicly chastised Browns coaches and teammates for his modest productivity even though he was dropping too many passes. Cleveland's 10-22 record in 2005 and 2006 after he experienced so much team success at Michigan further compounded the problem. Browns general manager Phil Savage praises Crennel for working closely with Edwards to improve his shortcomings without trying "to really crush his spirit like some coaches would have." "We just sat down and had talks about different things — how to act, what's important, priorities," Crennel said. "To his credit, he listened. He understood that I do know a little bit about what I'm talking about. "A rookie, when they come in, they don't know as much as they think they know. He understands now if he concentrates on football and does the good things there, other things will happen for him." Crennel's advice started paying dividends in 2007. Surrounded by much better offensive talent — which he volunteers as the biggest reason for his own improvement — Edwards stopped yapping and started producing. He registered 80 receptions for 1,289 yards on a Browns team that went 10-6. Edwards also had 16 touchdown catches, finishing behind only New England's Randy Moss in that statistical category. Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth, who played with the Patriots last season, said Edwards and Moss share some of the same traits. "He's got a big body and he's fast," Stallworth said of the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Edwards. "You get a lot of guys who are tall but really don't know how to use their bodies. He definitely does. He puts himself in position between the ball and (defensive backs). He's able to out-jump a lot of guys." Stallworth invokes Moss' name to motivate Edwards during practice. "If he drops a ball or anything, I always mess with him and tell him, 'Randy wouldn't do that,'" said a laughing Stallworth, a close friend of Edwards since 2005. "But Braylon usually doesn't make too many mistakes. Just as long as he continues working hard, he's going to be one of the great players for a long time." Edwards' confidence in his NFL future — "The groundwork for the cake is laid," he said. "Now, I just have to put the icing on it." — can come across as arrogant. But Edwards' actions off the field belie that persona. Besides his interaction with children like Quinn Clarke, Edwards made a $1 million donation in 2007 toward helping 100 Cleveland-area eighth-graders receive a college education. Edwards, 25, also has increased his public profile this offseason through numerous media appearances and is emerging as a team leader. "It feels good," he said. "It's something I always imagined myself doing and a role I've always wanted. I just have to uphold my end of the bargain and do what I'm supposed to do on and off the field. Just continue to be a positive reflection of the Browns as opposed to a negative one." Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:06:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299716 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299716 Big Dogs These are your premier TEs. This elite group is perhaps more head and shoulders above the typical player than for any other position. You'll have to get them fairly early (3rd-5th round) or you'll miss out. Antonio Gates - He's been the Alpha Dog for a few years now. I don't see this year being any different. All he did was go for 75 receptions, 984 yards, and 9 TDs. Jason Witten - Witten's 2007 campaign was second-to-none (that includes Antonio Gates) as far as TE's go. He had 96 grabs for 1145 yards, and 7 TDs. Witten is a couple of years younger than Gates (although Gates is only 28) so the torch could be passed soon. Kellen Winslow, Jr. - After the early bumps in his career, Winslow, Jr. has settled into being an elite TE in this league. He had fewer receptions (82 compared to 89) than in '06, but his yardage skyrocketed (875 to 1106). He also saw an increase of 2 in the TD department. I see his receptions remaining in the 80 region, his yardage taking a little dip, and his TDs to increase. Tony Gonzalez - The Godfather of the Big Dog TEs. I thought Gonzo would take a dip last year, but he went strong. He led all TEs with 1172 yards and 99 receptions. He added 5 TDs. He's 32 years old so a fall could happen any year now. Just don't count on it. 2nd Tier TEs These TEs are still good, but won't be score like a #2 WR like the BDTEs. Chris Cooley - He's perhaps one of the coolest guys in the league as evidenced by his fantasy football play. He's topped the 700 yard mark three straight years. I can easily see him doing that again, and perhaps even moving into 800 yard territory. He added an impressive 8 TDs. Dallas Clark - Clark's 11 TDs were tops among Tight Ends last year. With Marvin Harrison back and Anthony Gonzalez likely to have a bigger role, I fear a dip in Clark's production. Owen Daniels - He's the least-renowned of the TEs profiled thus far, but could have an even bigger breakout year in '08. He snared 63 passes for 768 yards and 3 TEs. Jeremy Shockey - Has his mouth finally wore out its welcome in NYC? Maybe. He's been rumored to be on the block since the G-Men won the Super Bowl without him. You know the drill though. If he's healthy and getting P.T., he'll produce. Last year he had 57 catches for 619 yards and 3 TDs despite missing a couple of games. Heath Miller - Heath had a nice little season last year for Pittsburgh grabbing 47 passes for 566 yards and 7 TDs. Not too bad for a TE that probably went in late rounds or undrafted in most leagues. Todd Heap - He didn't have the numbers last year (23 catches, 239 yards, 1 TD), but he was great the previous two seasons with over 70 catches, 750 yards, and 6 TDs each year. He'll need to play more than the six he did last year. Tony Scheffler - Denver's Scheffler could be in line for a breakout year as Denver's wideouts (outside of Brandon Marshall) and their Running Backs don't appear to be as strong this year either. That could mean Tony is busy on Sundays. Vernon Davis - San Francisco's Davis has finally began to live up to the hype last year with 52 catches for 509 yards and 4 TDs. He missed a couple of games, which hopefully isn't a trend for him as he missed 6 his rookie year. He has freakish athletic ability, and SF will likely be more pass-happy this year. He could be the best value of any TE this year. Serviceable TEs We move on to the backup TEs now in most fantasy leagues. Greg Olsen - The Bears have nothing going on Offense. Olsen had a decent enough rookie year (39 catches, 391 yards, 2 TDs) despite missing a couple of games. I think the Stiffler look-alike will have a breakout season with at least 600 yards and 5 TDs. Benjamin Watson - Watson got into the Boston TD Party last year with 6 TD receptions. With all of their weapons, he remains the least venomous option so that TD number may not take that big of a dip. He added 36 receptions for 389 yards. I don't see those numbers moving much in either direction. Alge Crumpler - Perhaps a change of scenery will do wonders for Alge as he was clearly unhappy in the ATL last year. He saw his yardage virtually sawed in half last year. If he becomes Vince Young's security blanket in Tennessee, he can return to fantasy relevance. L.J. Smith - L.J. got hit by the injury bug last year resulting in a sub-par 22 catches for 236 yards and a score. He had 50+ receptions and 600+ yards the previous two years. If he's healthy this year, he'll produce closer to those numbers than his lowly 2007 numbers. Zach Miller - Zach had a decent rookie year catching 44 passes for 444 yards and 3 TDs. He finished strong with career highs of 8 catches for 84 yars in his final game last year. He'll likely be a security blanket for JaMarcus Russell and a TE that you use when the matchups are right. Scrap Pile These are TEs that come in cases marked "Break Glass in Emergency". They are you bye week/injury plays. Randy McMichael - He saw a pretty big dip in his reception and yardage numbers last year in his first year in St. Louis. The Rams in general saw their offensive production slide so he could be in for a little rebound. Desmond Clark - The Bears wideouts are so bad that he could get his play again. I'm just not banking on another 44 catch, 545 yard, 4 TD season out of Clark as long as Olsen is healthy. Leonard Pope - Pope is huge (6?8?) and a red zone target (5 TDs). He only had 23 catches though for 238 yards. Use with caution. Chris Baker - He had a decent year for the Jets in 2007 with 1 catches for 409 yards and 3 TDs. I don't see much more than that from him. Alex Smith - Smith had 32 catches for 385 yards and 3 TDs. He's produced virtually the same numbers his three years in the league so I wouldn't expect much more than that. Donald Lee - Lee had a fine year for Green Bay last year with 48 catches for 575 yards and 6 TDs. What scares me is the departure of Brett Favre. If he can jive with Aaron Rodgers, he'll be fine. If not more mediocre seasons are in the future for Mr. Lee. Mercedes Lewis - Lewis was decent at times for Jacksonville tallying 37 catches for 391 yards, and 2 TDs in his second year. I can see him becoming more fantasy relevant in '08. Jeff King - King had a decent year with Carolina last year, but the additon of D.J. Hackett and the return of Muhsin Muhammad should quell any thoughts of increased production out of King. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:15:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298832 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298832 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 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:35:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298770 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298770 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. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:11:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298023 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298023