It will be interesting to see if the Philadelphia Eagles' Brian Dawkins is fined by the NFL for his helmet-to-helmet hit on the Panthers' Muhsin Muhammad in the end zone in the second quarter.

The Panthers have already been victimized by that kind of hit a€" last week when Steve Smith suffered a concussion after getting whacked head-first by Indianapolis' Antoine Bethea. Muhammad returned to the game and caught two passes for 12 yards.

Nobody saw it coming at the time, of course. Not Cleveland, which had the top pick and its choice of five touted quarterbacks: Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper and Cade McNown. Not the media, which was largely in agreement that Couch was the best of an outstanding bunch.

"He stands out the way lobster distinguishes itself from a quarter-pounder," Mike Freeman wrote in The New York Times prior to that draft. "Nothing against the other passers available, but few of them can run an offense the way Couch does."

The problem was the offense Couch took over in Cleveland. It was an expansion team with a first-year head coach ( Chris Palmer), a dearth of skill-position talent and a rickety offensive line. Yet the Browns imprudently threw Couch into the fray immediately, naming him the starter two games into his NFL career. He was barely 22 years old at the time and had played just three years of college ball.

So the Browns got their franchise cornerstone battered from the beginning. He was sacked 56 times his rookie year and 3.1 times per game his first three seasons. For comparison's sake, the famous beating David Carr took his first three years with the Houston Texans was only slightly worse -- he was sacked 3.2 times per game.

Adarius Bowman, who many on this site, believed could come in and start day 1 for the eagles, let alone make the team, could not find a job in the NFL, and now plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian football league. I would like 2 take some time now to say, i told you so.

just wanted to throw my opinion out there, and give some guys some respect that they deserve.

They would be a great fit, since apparently no one in Jacksonville is a football fan. Tell me what you think.

When the Favre rumors came out last week, I asked a few NFL insiders what they thought the probability was for such a scenario. The strongest statement was that there might be an 80 percent chance he would play this season. At first I felt that might have been a bit strong, but it made me start digging deeper into the possibility that No. 4 would play again.

I have talked with a few people close enough to Favre that I now feel comfortable that an 80 percent chance may be a conservative estimate. He's throwing footballs, working out and it's more than an itch to play.

Favre is a 38-year-old QB who has an 18-4 record in his last 22 games and is coming off a season in which he led the Packers offense to a No. 2 ranking in the NFL and threw for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. He can still play -- he knows it and so do a number of NFL franchises just waiting to see what the Packers will do if he shows up in Green Bay for the start of training camp.

If Favre notifies the league that he is ready to play again -- and I now believe he will do just that -- the Packers will face the reality that he is headed back to Titletown. Green Bay can reassemble his locker, cut a player on the roster to make room for him, use a chunk of salary cap space for his reentry and make another run at the Super Bowl. His salary of close to $12 million immediately counts against the cap and if he were to get hurt during the summer they would be responsible for the whole nut. If he's on the opening day roster, his salary is guaranteed.

What if he shows up in late August? Do the Packers want him back? Can they afford not to let him come back? Is he tradable? Lots of questions surround this story and camp is only weeks away.

Legend in not-so-familiar uniform

Remember when the 49ers were done with Joe Montana? They got a first-round draft pick from the Kansas City Chiefs for the 36-year-old quarterback. Montana went to the Chiefs in 1993 after two seasons (1991-92) in which he barely played.

At roughly the same age, Favre is coming off a great season. Montana never had a 4,000-yard season in his career. Most NFL people I spoke with believe Favre could easily play two more seasons -- just as Montana did when he joined the Chiefs. Montana started 25 games for Kansas City and connected for 29 touchdowns. The sentiment I got from NFL coaches, especially those who played against Favre in 2007, is that he would easily exceed the Montana production. But no one felt the Packers could get the compensation the 49ers got for Montana.

Keep in mind, Favre has some control over a trade because of the size of his contract. If a team came forward and was willing to meet the Packers' trade demands, they may still have to get Favre to renegotiate the contract and he would balk at that if the team wasn't a real playoff contender. Trading him doesn't look like a strong possibility.

Should the Packers welcome him with open arms and be proactive about his return? Some front office people feel Green Bay has no choice but to let him return. As one GM said, "This is a case where the tail will wag the dog if it wants to." A head coach said, "Ted Thompson is in a tough spot." As one former Packer put it, there's no way the Aaron Rodgers era starts -- nor should it -- if Favre wants to play.

It wouldn't be a total shock

It would not surprise me if Favre informs the Packers this week that he will report for camp and then the Packers have a decision to make. Give him his job back or release him. If the franchise truly believes it is time to move on they will release him and then the story gets interesting.

Upon his release, his large salary and multiple years left on his contract would disappear. He could wind up at another NFC North club -- and the public relations nightmare is on. If Favre throws for 4,000 yards and takes a team deep into the playoffs while the Packers struggle, it could destroy careers for those who made the decision to cut him loose.

It's not breaking news that Favre is a very competitive athlete and the Packers may be stoking a fire in his belly by not embracing his return. I caught up with two head coaches this weekend who feel Favre will not be back in Green Bay, he will not be traded and he will play at a high level in 2008 for an NFL playoff contender. It sounds like it's starting to get personal for Favre.

Rodgers era on hold?

I don't think I could let that happen if I were in Green Bay. The Rodgers era can wait, and if Rodgers doesn't understand that this issue is bigger than him that's too bad. Mike McCarthy was the best thing to happen to Brett Favre over the past two seasons and the Super Bowl is within reach with Favre. It's also within reach for other teams if Favre is on their roster.

At this point, I doubt the Packers will be celebrating the Favre retirement at the first home game, but they may be preparing to play against him sometime before the season ends. The perfect scenario is that he runs out onto Lambeau Field on Sept. 8 in his green jersey. But with Minnesota, Chicago and Tampa Bay, among others, on the schedule, it could be that Favre appears in a Green Bay game this season playing in a different jersey.

Here's a video of what his speech might be like, for the article click the link.

Clinton Portis has 4 new costumes and displays them on NFL Network. Click this link, check em' out, and vote for your favorite!!

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story;jsessionid=3BFE2C27F7E7CB48C229E13F5C105261? id=09000d5d808fd0cf&template=with-video&confirm=true

1. Anthony Fasano or David Martin, TEs, Dolphins: Not that you'd draft either guy in anything other than a very deep league, but there are a few things to consider here. The Dolphins will have a very conservative offense. They will have a young quarterback who will need to check down to other options a lot. Like his tight end. Head coach Tony Sparano has been a tight ends coach with the Cowboys and helped Jason Witten become Jason Witten, thanks to his coaching and play-calling. Just a gut feeling here, but if you are in a deep league or a league in which you are forced to draft two tight ends, whoever gets the starting gig here is an interesting flier.

2.Someone You Have Never Heard Of, RB, Dolphins: You'll see Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the hate list this year because I'm not buying the comeback for either. Which means my bet is that Patrick Cobbs, Jalen Parmele, Lex Hilliard or someone not even on their roster right now will start for them at running back at some point this year. Yeah, sorry Dolphins fans. On the plus side, the 2009 NFL draft is just 10 months away and you guys are on the clock!

3. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, Texans: You believe they stay healthy or you do not believe. As for me, I see my Schaub as half-full.

4.Chris Brown, RB, Texans: On the other hand, I see my Ahman Green as half-empty.

5. Owen Daniels, TE, Texans: Sixth-best among tight ends last year in both receptions and receiving yards. Only Kellen Winslow and Antonio Gates had more yards per catch among tight ends with at least 60 receptions. Didn't catch a lot of touchdowns, but then again, very few Texans did last year.

6. Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Colts: Sign me up for the " Marvin Harrison is done" camp. In Weeks 13-16 of last season, Gonzalez was top-20 in receiving yards and had three scores in those four games. He's got a pretty good quarterback and a guy on the other side of the ball who will draw all the attention, ya know?

7.Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs: I think I'm going to hire a bunch of folks to wear Santa outfits at Chiefs games, and every time Dwayne scores, they ring their bells and hold signs that say "Bowe Ho Ho!" Look, if anyone else has another way to show him love, I'm all for it but I've spent five whole seconds thinking and all I got was this or a bunch of pirates going "Bowe Ho Ho." And, really, that'd just make no sense.

8. Leonard Pope, TE, Cardinals: He should totally get a truck with a big bubble and drive places in his own Pope Mobile. That would be totally dope. And then he'd be known as the Dope Pope. And that would make me giggle.

9. Bobby Engram, WR, Seahawks: Underrated, just like Ya Mo Be There. That's right. Some of these are for the older kids. Just move along.

10. Donald Driver, WR, Packers: You know who the Packers' only 1,000-yard receiver was last year? You know who led the team in receptions (29 more than second place)? Well, I'll tell you who it wasn't, and that's Greg Jennings. Jennings' value came from his touchdown total, which is no guarantee to continue. Touchdowns for wide receivers are very tough to predict. (Case in point: Jennings had three and Driver eight the year before). Also consider that the one game Aaron Rodgers played (the Dallas game) Driver had seven receptions for 66 yards. Folks can jump all over Jennings in the fourth and fifth rounds. I like Driver in the sixth or seventh

1.Steve Smith, WR, Panthers: Has played all 16 games only twice in seven years. Not counting his rookie year when he was a return guy or 2004, when he missed basically the whole season, Steve Smith's two worst statistical seasons were the two seasons he was teammates with Muhsin Muhammad. Muhsin, plus Hackett, plus a quarterback with a bad wing, plus a run-first offense.

2. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: Mike Martz is not running back friendly, OK? Yeah yeah, Marshall Faulk. Guess what? Gore ain't Faulk.

3. Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals: A big name, sure. But look at his numbers. Only five touchdowns in his past five games, when owners needed him the most. And three of those five came in Week 17, when most weren't even playing. Throw out the crazy six touchdowns versus Cleveland and he had 20 touchdowns in 15 games. That's bad, especially when you consider he played every week, he had two of the best receivers in the game and the team was often playing from behind. In his defense, the Bengals had no running game to keep defenses honest. But then again, what's changed for this season?

4. Eli Manning, QB, Giants: The Super Bowl win was an amazing story and a gutty performance, no doubt. And that will raise his profile. But he still hasn't proven he won't fade in the second half (less touchdowns and more interceptions in the second half in each of the past three years) and hasn't proven he can play well at home where, rumor has it, the Giants play half their games.

5.Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs: You may think he's "rested" since he only played half a season last year due to injury. Yet he still touched the ball 188 times, a pace very similar to the previous two years. In fact, even with him only playing eight games last year, Johnson is still third in the NFL in total touches over the past three seasons. Add Kolby Smith and Jammal Charles, plus the continued offensive line problems of the Chiefs, and well...

6.Michael Turner, RB, Falcons: In a four-year career, Turner has 11 career receptions. Eleven. Does he have a lot of talent? Yes. But he's also gonna be on the sidelines on third down, he's gonna split a lot more time with Jerious Norwood than you think and there are a few questions at quarterback on this team, no?

7. Greg Jennings, WR, Packers: He was a touchdown machine last year, but touchdowns can be fickle things. He didn't even get 1,000 of Favre's 4,155 passing yards and now he has Aaron Rodgers throwing to him? This is more about where he'll need to be drafted rather than his skills, but to return the investment you'll need to make to get him, he needs to get all those touchdowns back. I never like my guys to be touchdown-dependent.

8.Donte' Stallworth, WR, Browns: If you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink, you can also lead a fast guy to a high-powered offense but you can't make him catch or stay healthy. No thanks

9.Javon Walker, WR, Raiders: Remember when he used to be Javon Walker?

10. Darrell Jackson, WR, Broncos: Remember 2004? Lord of the Rings won Best Picture. Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction. I spent money on something called "The Lingerie Bowl." But more importantly, that was the last time Darrell Jackson played all 16 games in a season. It was also the last year the Denver Broncos had two 1,000 yard receivers. 2004 was a long time ago.

All of these top ten lists goin around, and i had to get in on the action.

Guys I love

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills: Injuries are a concern and so is the fact that Buffalo sucks. But lost in the Peterson hoopla is this little fact about last year's other rookie: Despite only playing in 11 games, there were only 10 running backs with more fantasy points than him. He runs hard and he has gold teeth. What's not to love?

Fred Jackson, RB, Bills: Of course, Lynch did miss three games last season.

Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, WRs, Jets: Just like those caramel candies with the cream in the middle, these two are a perennially underrated tasty treat. (Pause) What do you want from me? It's the preseason. I'm still getting into game shape.

Thomas Jones, RB, Jets: If "Mr. Seriously Badass" is taken, I'm calling my '80s band "The Alan Faneca Project."

Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens: Here's what I wrote last year about him, when no one was high on him in Baltimore: "First-round production you can get in the second round." After a year in which he finished with the eighth-most fantasy points among running backs despite missing a game, I expect more of the same. And after seeing some mock drafts, I'll say the same thing again. First-round production you can get in the second round.

Troy Smith, QB, Ravens: Think he wins the gig. And think he does something with it.

Anthony Fasano or David Martin, TEs, Dolphins: Not that you'd draft either guy in anything other than a very deep league, but there are a few things to consider here. The Dolphins will have a very conservative offense. They will have a young quarterback who will need to check down to other options a lot. Like his tight end. Head coach Tony Sparano has been a tight ends coach with the Cowboys and helped Jason Witten become Jason Witten, thanks to his coaching and play-calling. Just a gut feeling here, but if you are in a deep league or a league in which you are forced to draft two tight ends, whoever gets the starting gig here is an interesting flier.

Someone You Have Never Heard Of, RB, Dolphins: You'll see Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the hate list this year because I'm not buying the comeback for either. Which means my bet is that Patrick Cobbs, Jalen Parmele, Lex Hilliard or someone not even on their roster right now will start for them at running back at some point this year. Yeah, sorry Dolphins fans. On the plus side, the 2009 NFL draft is just 10 months away and you guys are on the clock!

Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker Patriots: Just putting them here so all the Patriots fans don't freak out. What? No Patriots on your list? Waaaaaagggh! East Coast bias! Wait, we're on the East Coast. Anti-Belichick bias! Off with his head! Arghhh! Wait, what's his cheating have to do with fantasy? Huh. You suck anyways! Yeah, that's it! You suck! Us against the world! Waaaaa! Wait, what were we angry about again? Oh yeah, 18-1. Waaaa!

Kenny Watson, RB, Bengals: See opening section.

Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals: I'm not worried about the holdout or off-field stuff, but it's clear by his early average draft position that others are. Chad wants to get paid and you get paid by playing. I think I read that in the Bible. Anyways, grab him in the fifth or sixth and be very happy.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns: An obvious name but on this list because there's a very strong chance he ends the year as the No. 1 Fantasy wideout. I'd rather have him than Randy Moss or Terrell Owens when you factor in where they're all going in drafts.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers: You either believe in Ben or you don't. A healthy Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward plus the new wide-open offense means another big year. By the way, Peyton Manning averaged only 1.25 points a game more than Ben did last year.

Santonio Holmes, WR, Steelers: He's a known quantity, of course, but I put him in here because this is the year he steps up and becomes a No. 1 fantasy wideout. Last year, he missed three games and still was the 17th-best fantasy receiver. On a per-game basis, he scored more fantasy points than Plaxico Burress or Brandon Marshall and only about half a point less than T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Marques Colston. Loved him last year in the preseason, love him again.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Steelers: Count me among those worried about Willie Parker.

Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, Texans: You believe they stay healthy or you do not believe. As for me, I see my Schaub as half-full.

Chris Brown, RB, Texans: On the other hand, I see my Ahman Green as half-empty.

Owen Daniels, TE, Texans: Sixth-best among tight ends last year in both receptions and receiving yards. Only Kellen Winslow and Antonio Gates had more yards per catch among tight ends with at least 60 receptions. Didn't catch a lot of touchdowns, but then again, very few Texans did last year.

Mike Hart, RB, Colts: You never forget your first crush, and I was probably 5 or so when I first laid eyes on Stefanie Powers from "Hart to Hart." I didn't even know what I was feeling. I just knew I liked her. She always smiled. I bet she smelled nice. And she solved crimes! If that's not a winning combo, I don't know what is. There. I've decided it. The next Mrs. Roto is gonna smile a lot, smell nice and solve crimes. Oh yeah ... I'm voting Mike Hart over Kenton Keith as the Addai handcuff you want.

Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Colts: Sign me up for the " Marvin Harrison is done" camp. In Weeks 13-16 of last season, Gonzalez was top-20 in receiving yards and had three scores in those four games. He's got a pretty good quarterback and a guy on the other side of the ball who will draw all the attention, ya know?

David Garrard, QB, Jaguars: Only played 12 games last year and was still was tied for 13th among quarterbacks for fantasy points, thanks to an average of 14.5 per game. To give a comparison, last year Peyton Manning averaged 16.7. Now going into camp with the job clearly his, an outstanding run game and some new receivers to play with (not great, but certainly better than what he had), Garrard is primed for a breakout season as a top-10 fantasy QB.

Reggie Williams, WR, Jaguars: Top-10 quarterbacks throw to someone.

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: No team attempted more rushing plays last year than the Titans. Only four team had more rushing yards per game. Only four teams had more rushing touchdowns. LenDale White isn't the healthiest (or thinnest) cat around. You dig what I'm saying here?

Alge Crumpler, TE, Titans: He used to be good. Smart teams will try and stop the run against Tennessee.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Broncos: One of my best calls from last year. Might as well double down.

Tony Scheffler, TE, Broncos: Starting in Week 12 of last year, only four tight ends had more receiving yards and only two had more touchdowns. He spent his offseason working out with Jay Cutler and Marshall.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs: I think I'm going to hire a bunch of folks to wear Santa outfits at Chiefs games, and every time Dwayne scores, they ring their bells and hold signs that say "Bowe Ho Ho!" Look, if anyone else has another way to show him love, I'm all for it but I've spent five whole seconds thinking and all I got was this or a bunch of pirates going "Bowe Ho Ho." And, really, that'd just make no sense.

Kolby Smith, RB, Chiefs: See Johnson, Larry -- "hate" section.

Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders: Only three teams attempted more rushing plays last year and the Raiders were sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game. Justin Fargas has played all 16 games only once in five years. The mobility of JaMarcus Russell means defenses can't key on just stopping the running back. He's a great pass-catcher out of the backfield, meaning he'll be in for every play. Pick a reason. Any reason.

Patrick Crayton, WR, Cowboys: And I am not insulting your intelligence by putting Tony Romo, Owens, Marion Barber or Witten here.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants: The health is a concern, no question. But when healthy? He posted 12.6 fantasy points a game last year, better than Marion Barber, among others. He's a stud.

Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles: One of these years.

Kevin Curtis, WR, Eagles: Two first names. Always a crowd-pleaser. This joke? Not so much.

The Redskins: I'm high on this team. Clinton Portis is obvious, like Jason Campbell as a sleeper, think Santana Moss has a very nice year and Antwaan Randle El will be bye-week worthy. Chris Cooley continues to be an underrated fantasy tight end. I actually met Randle El at ESPN recently when he was doing some interviews and he raved about Jim Zorn as a head coach. Raved. The West Coast offense that Zorn will install is a good fit for the personnel and there will be a decent amount of Fantasy goodness in the nation's capital this year.

Devin Hester, WR, Bears: We know the skills are there, the question is: Can they get him the ball? It's worth a late-round pick to find out.

Greg Olsen, TE, Bears: There used to be a closer named Gregg Olson who pitched for the Orioles, the Diamondbacks and a bunch of other teams. He was moderately useful in fantasy for a few years. So's this guy.

Matt Forte, RB, Bears: Here's a bunch of stuff I know. Chicago wants to run the ball (more than 400 rushing attempts last year). Cedric Benson is no longer on the team and they don't think "the other" Adrian Peterson can (should?) be an every-down back. The sun will come up tomorrow. Guys will listen to any crazy or boring thing a pretty girl has to say for as long as humanly possible if they think they have a chance with her. The Bears improved their line in the draft (three offensive linemen drafted) and Forte has as easy a path to an uncontested starting gig as any rookie. The longest I have spent listening to something crazy or boring from a pretty girl is two and a half years.

Kevin Smith, RB, Lions: But only because I've seen Tatum Bell play.

Roy Williams, WR, Lions: Eight hundred thirty-six and five are decent numbers. Then consider he got them in only 12 games. No Martz, but they are still gonna throw, and when they do, it'll be to Roy. A low-end No. 1 wideout that you can get as your No. 2.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions: Not a lot of people listened to me last year when I said he was overrated and going too high in drafts. Those who did, you're welcome. Anyways, this year the bloom is off. But with another year under his belt and being healthy, I actually think he'll have a good year.

Ryan Grant, RB, Packers: We know the Packers can run the ball and they'll want to take pressure off Aaron Rodgers. We also know that both "Ryan" and "Grant" can be used as a first name. Hah! Snuck that one in there, didn't I?

Donald Driver, WR, Packers: You know who the Packers' only 1,000-yard receiver was last year? You know who led the team in receptions (29 more than second place)? Well, I'll tell you who it wasn't, and that's Greg Jennings. Jennings' value came from his touchdown total, which is no guarantee to continue. Touchdowns for wide receivers are very tough to predict. (Case in point: Jennings had three and Driver eight the year before). Also consider that the one game Aaron Rodgers played (the Dallas game) Driver had seven receptions for 66 yards. Folks can jump all over Jennings in the fourth and fifth rounds. I like Driver in the sixth or seventh much better.

Sidney Rice, WR, Vikings: A deeper sleeper to be sure, and quarterback issues don't help matters. But he had three scores in his final six games, he's entering his second year in the league and the Vikings are going to have to take shots downfield if they want to keep defenses from stacking the box on Peterson. He's 6-foot-4 and all kinds of fast.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers: Even with all the problems the Panthers had last year, they were still 14th-best in terms of rushing yards per game. Now they get Jake Delhomme back, and they brought in Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett to take some of the heat off of Steve Smith and put it on opposing defenses. Combined with the fact that John Fox clearly is not comfortable with DeAngelo Williams as a No. 1 RB, that makes Stewart a nice grab in the third round or so.

Chris Redman, QB, Falcons: Over the last five weeks of the season, only three quarterbacks had more touchdown passes. Just saying.

Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals:> Do you believe in the Matt Leinart? Because I do not. I mean, I believe I would like to party with him. But I am not trusting my fantasy team to him. And it's worth noting Warner was a top-10 Fantasy QB last year and, for all intents and purposes, played in only 13 games.

Leonard Pope, TE, Cardinals: He should totally get a truck with a big bubble and drive places in his own Pope Mobile. That would be totally dope. And then he'd be known as the Dope Pope. And that would make me giggle.

Torry Holt, WR, Rams: Look at his stats the past two years: 93 receptions in each, 1,189 receiving yards last season, 1,188 the year before. I love that kind of consistency in a wideout and there is no way the Rams' offense is as bad this year as it was last year. Holt should be fully healthy coming into training camp, and let's face it: If last year was as bad a year as it gets for Holt, I like his chances this season.

Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson and Drew Bennett, Rams: I kept Holt separate because frankly, I liked the stat. Chris Harris pointed it out to me. But I'm an Al Saunders believer and last year was a lost one for the Rams. They get back to being the Rams this year.

Bobby Engram, WR, Seahawks: Underrated, just like Ya Mo Be There. That's right. Some of these are for the older kids. Just move along to the Hate.

Players I hate

Lee Evans, WR, Bills: There's an old saying in Buffalo. I know it's in Texas, I'm sure it's in Buffalo. Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me ... you can't get fooled again.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins: Name one guy who has come back from an ACL injury and been good the next year. On a terrible team. With a GM and head coach that have no loyalty to him.

Bill Belichik

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

I guess, in the end, it's Bill Belichick I hate. But that's so 2007.

Laurence Maroney, RB, Patriots: So I interviewed Benjamin Watson at ESPN the Weekend (I'm a company man) and I asked why he was so good last year at the start of the year and wasn't getting love toward the end. And he told me that was the game plan. Bill Belichick designs and redesigns his offense every week and sometimes he was needed to pass block and sometimes he was needed on offense. Which makes perfect sense, especially if you owned the mind-boggingly frustrating Maroney last season. Those who only remember how awesome he was down the stretch are forgetting how horrible he was (and how Sammy Morris was better) at the start.

Benjamin Watson, TE, Patriots: Uh, you just read the Maroney entry, right?

Todd Heap, TE, Ravens: See Evans, Lee, but substitute "Baltimore" for "Buffalo."

Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals: A big name, sure. But look at his numbers. Only five touchdowns in his past five games, when owners needed him the most. And three of those five came in Week 17, when most weren't even playing. Throw out the crazy six touchdowns versus Cleveland and he had 20 touchdowns in 15 games. That's bad, especially when you consider he played every week, he had two of the best receivers in the game and the team was often playing from behind. In his defense, the Bengals had no running game to keep defenses honest. But then again, what's changed for this season?

Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals: Not convinced he's healthy, not convinced he keeps Kenny Watson on the bench, not convinced he shouldn't spell his first name with a "Y."

Donte' Stallworth, WR, Browns: If you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink, you can also lead a fast guy to a high-powered offense but you can't make him catch or stay healthy. No thanks.

Derek Anderson and Jamal Lewis, Browns: I always say you never pay for a career year, and here's two guys who had just that. I actually think they'll be OK this year, but expecting them to match or even exceed last year is a bad idea. Anderson had eight interceptions in his last five games compared with only 11 in his first 11 games, making me think the league caught up with him a bit toward the end.

Willie Parker, RB, Steelers: I loved Fast Willie. One of the first TV spots I ever did was on "Cold Pizza" talking about him as legit when he was making waves in training camp his rookie year. He made me look good and helped put me on the radar of the ESPN brass. So I have a fondness for him. That said, he's coming off an injury, Mendenhall is going to take away his goal-line carries and it's not like he scored a lot last year, especially in the new pass-friendly Steelers' offense. Sorry Willie. It was fun while it lasted.

Ahman Green, RB, Texans: See Brown, Chris.

Marvin Harrison, WR, Colts: I think he's done. And I'm not willing to waste a reasonably high draft pick to find out if I'm wrong. It's that simple.

Vince Young, QB, Titans: Here's what I wrote about Vince in last year's "Love/Hate": "The lack of a big-play wide receiver, a whole year for defensive coordinators to prepare, and the Madden cover curse are all good reasons." He's no longer on the cover of Madden, but everything else still applies. Hopefully all the people that were so high on him last year have learned their lesson. Bleah.

LenDale White, RB, Titans: Single-digit fantasy points in five of his past eight games. And he's fat.

Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs: He was my first-round bust prediction last year (on June 24) and it's not like he did anything to prove me wrong. You may think he's "rested" since he only played half a season last year due to injury. Yet he still touched the ball 188 times, a pace very similar to the previous two years. In fact, even with him only playing eight games last year, Johnson is still third in the NFL in total touches over the past three seasons. Add Kolby Smith and Jamaal Charles, plus the continued offensive line problems of the Chiefs, and he won't be on any of my teams this year.

Jay Cutler, QB, Broncos: Love his talent, hate his coach. And his No. 2 wideout (see below). Just inconsistent play-calling and Denver's propensity to run the ball made for 11 of 16 games last year in which Cutler threw one or zero touchdown passes. Or, to put it another way, there were only five games last year in which Cutler threw more than one touchdown.

Puppy

Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

And this little dog, too!

Michael Pittman, RB, Broncos: OK, yeah, any Denver running back has value. True. But he wasn't very good last year on a Bucs team that also ran the ball well. And he's never been able to stay healthy. And he kicks kittens and nuns. In the kidneys.

Darrell Jackson, WR, Broncos: Remember 2004? Lord of the Rings won Best Picture. Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction. I spent money on something called "The Lingerie Bowl." But more importantly, that was the last time Darrell Jackson played all 16 games in a season. It was also the last year the Denver Broncos had two 1,000 yard receivers. 2004 was a long time ago.

Javon Walker, WR, Raiders: Remember when he used to be Javon Walker?

The Chargers: Other than Tomlinson, of course. But Philip Rivers is inconsistent (only seven games in which he had more than one touchdown pass), Chris Chambers cannot be trusted (with catching the ball, with your fantasy glory or with the last cupcake) and Antonio Gates was not only slow toward the end of last season, there are a lot of good tight ends, so you don't need to take a guy like Gates early.

Eli Manning, QB, Giants: The Super Bowl win was an amazing story and a gutty performance, no doubt. And that will raise his profile. But he still hasn't proven he won't fade in the second half (less touchdowns and more interceptions in the second half in each of the past three years) and hasn't proven he can play well at home where, rumor has it, the Giants play half their games.

Reggie Brown, WR, Eagles: Don't get it. Never have, never will.

Cedric Benson, RB, some team sure to get desperate in August: Sure, I'm piling on, but I hate Cedric Benson almost as much as I hate all the people who loved him as a sleeper last year. I can't tell you how much hate mail I got after I wrote this about him in last year's "Love/Hate": "Maybe he stays healthy, maybe he makes good on the potential, maybe he improves on last year's 4.1 yards per carry. But he'll have to do it on someone else's team. I know he was a lot better over the second half, but he's gonna have to do it over a full year for me to believe."

Well, a year and two highly publicized encounters with the long arm of the law later, and Benson will probably get another shot with someone else. And you're probably not drafting him anyway. But I put him down here because, (a) I wanted to rub it in the face one more time of all the guys who loved him soooo much last year (and there were a lot of you) and (b) because I wanted to mention that among running backs who had more than 190 attempts in 2007, only Warrick Dunn had fewer yards per carry than Benson's 3.4. And (c) because I hate him. Cedric Benson sucks.

Tatum Bell, RB, Lions: But only because I've seen him play.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: Half of me thinks Brett Favre still comes back. The other half just thinks Rodgers isn't very good.

Greg Jennings, WR, Packers: He was a touchdown machine last year, but touchdowns can be fickle things. He didn't even get 1,000 of Favre's 4,155 passing yards and now he has Aaron Rodgers throwing to him? This is more about where he'll need to be drafted rather than his skills, but to return the investment you'll need to make to get him, he needs to get all those touchdowns back. I never like my guys to be touchdown-dependent for their value. Especially when there's no guarantee he gets lots of looks this year.

Tarvaris Jackson, QB, Vikings: Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's not true.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings: See opening section.

Michael Turner, RB, Falcons: In a four-year career, Turner has 11 career receptions. Eleven. Does he have a lot of talent? Yes. But he's also gonna be on the sidelines on third down, he's gonna split a lot more time with Jerious Norwood than you think and there are a few questions at quarterback on this team, no? If he's your No. 3 running back, great. But as a No. 1 or 2? Yeesh.

D'Angelo Williams, RB, Panthers: Unless you play in one of those leagues in which you get points for having players that break your heart and crush your dreams repeatedly. Then he's a first-rounder.

Steve Smith, WR, Panthers: Has played all 16 games only twice in seven years. Not counting his rookie year when he was a return guy or 2004, when he missed basically the whole season, Steve Smith's two worst statistical seasons were the two seasons he was teammates with Muhsin Muhammad. Muhsin, plus Hackett, plus a quarterback with a bad wing, plus a run-first offense and this guy is not worth the draft pick it will take to get him. I did an interview with Steve at ESPN the Weekend as well. And in each interview I gave the player an over/under on their stats for the year. Smith was the only one who took the under. What was the number? Does it really matter?

Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister, RB, Saints: See Heap, Todd. But insert "New Orleans" for "Baltimore.

Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals: On the other hand, I'd draft him as my wingman every day of the week, and twice on Saturday. (What? You ever try picking up in Connecticut on a Sunday? The whole state closes at 2 p.m.)

Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals: Single-digit fantasy points in seven of his past 10 games. And the biggest game during that stretch was Week 17, when it did most people no good at all.

Alex Smith, QB, 49ers: Martz, Schmartz. Forget your Fantasy team. I don't even think he should be the starter for San Francisco.

Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: Mike Martz is not running back friendly, OK? Yeah yeah, Marshall Faulk. Guess what? Gore ain't Faulk.

Vernon Davis, TE, 49ers: My friend Merril Hoge tells me Davis can't run a route to save his life. Stats seem to back him up. And the Martz offense doesn't use a tight end all that much. Too much hype, too little production. Of course, the same is often said about me.

Their situations are different, of course, but whether it's Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress or Javon Walker, it seems like the news on some of the top wide receivers in fantasy just never stops, even during the summer.

Not that wide receivers should be hiding in caves to keep out of trouble, but don't any of these well-paid fellas go to some remote island to relax for a few months? Heck, even Randy Moss has managed to remain comparatively inconspicuous since the Super Bowl. Imagine that!

There aren't too many fantasy football drafts in June, and it's a good thing, because owners wouldn't know where to select a few of these guys. Owens isn't really in trouble, after all, as he recently agreed to a long-term contract extension, but the fact that the league placed him in the reasonable-cause drug program for missing a drug test does have to worry a potential fantasy owner just a bit, especially if you are considering making Owens your early second-rounder, no?

Terrell Owens keeps on producing fantasy numbers, but he also makes things hard on his owners.

Maybe, as Owens claims, he innocently changed his cell phone number and didn't inform the league. Whatever. It's always something. Owens has an excused absence from the Cowboys' mandatory minicamp to tend to a personal matter, which again is probably nothing, but if you've owned Owens before, you know a monster season (even while it's happening) is never totally safe, because things can change quickly with the emotional wide receiver. Still, Owens should be one of the first three wide receivers to go in your league.

The Giants' Burress -- that's the Super Bowl champion Giants to you and me -- isn't really in trouble either, but he's not practicing and not happy with his contract, which pays him a mere $4-plus million per year for a few more seasons. We agree, it's embarrassing to work for such little coin. Anyway, Burress hasn't threatened to sit out training camp, and it's doubtful this situation will be allowed to fester into August. Burress is a top-10 wide receiver for fantasy, and him balking over money shouldn't change that. If anything, failed contract negotiations could motivate him more.

The situations with Johnson and Walker are far more compelling and worrisome to the fantasy owner. Johnson has been lobbying for a trade for six months, and he and the Bengals clearly are not thinking alike. Check out the mouthy wide receiver from one day to the next, and you never know what he'll say. One day, he's threatening to sit out the season; the next, he tells ESPN The Magazine, "Of course I'll be back. I may be crazy but I'm not stupid." Johnson has skipped some offseason workouts, whined that the Bengals have betrayed him and had some interesting bouts of outspokenness with multiple media members, including ESPN's Stuart Scott and Brian Kenny.

After an offseason of discontent, Chad Johnson only decided now to have ankle surgery.

The latest on Johnson came this week when he had arthroscopic surgery on both ankles. The seemingly minor procedures were, according to the player, long overdue and could go a long way toward explaining erratic performances in 2007. If they were long overdue, why didn't Johnson have the surgery in February? Regardless, Johnson should be ready for the start of training camp, at least physically. Whether he wants to report and how much he intends to contribute are different things. His ability is such that he's a borderline top-10 wide receiver, but you might be a bit scared off by this offseason, and I can't blame you. He's in my top 15, but I'm not targeting Johnson in drafts.

Meanwhile, as of this writing, we still don't have much information on what happened to Walker, the Raiders' new deep threat, who was hospitalized for a few nights this week after being robbed in Las Vegas following a night of partying. Walker, who was found unconscious on a Las Vegas street near the Strip, had been photographed earlier in the evening spraying champagne on guests at a nightclub. He suffered a concussion and facial injuries. There were rumors of more serious injuries, but two days after the incident, he already had been released from a local hospital and his agent released a statement saying he was looking forward to the upcoming season.

Walker was on my list of sleeper picks for this season, as the Raiders made a big splash by signing the talented playmaker to pair him with sophomore JaMarcus Russell. This seems like a duo that could thrive. Walker has ability, and he proved it with very good seasons in 2004 and 2006, but he also has dealt with multiple knee injuries that destroyed his value in the seasons after. If you go by the every-other-year theory and the fact that Walker is getting a new start in Oakland, it makes sense to acknowledge he could be a breakout performer in 2008. But Raiders coach Lane Kiffin might have said it best in a news conference Wednesday: "The info that I have is he's going to be fine. Training camp won't be an issue. ... But until our guys look at him, I don't want to say [the extent of Walker's injuries]." Walker wasn't terribly high on most fantasy owners' lists to start with, probably outside the top 30 wide receivers, but I still regard him as a sleeper, a No. 3 wide receiver for your team, unless we find the injuries from the robbery are worse than anyone thought.

For wide receivers, it's the summer of their discontent, and it doesn't end with these guys. Marvin Harrison was involved in a shooting in his native Philadelphia, Anquan Boldin wants more money, Brandon Marshall still is recovering from an accident and who knows what will become of Terry Glenn. It's only June.

… And I'll tell you why. He won't be on any of my teams this year. And no, this isn't some lame joke about the dude from Chicago. I'm talking about the Minnesota Adrian Peterson, our ESPN Fantasy Magazine cover boy, the NFL record-holder for single-game rushing, Mr. Seriously Badass. (Side note: If I ever start an '80s cover band, I'm calling it Mr. Seriously Badass).

I'll get to performance in a second, but first, look at the headline that I had nothing to do with. "To AP or Not AP?" That is the question? Shouldn't the question actually be "Is it AP or is it AD?" His nickname in college was "All Day." As in, "I sat here all day and I could not come up with an interesting nickname."

I've heard him referred to as AP, as AD and as many words I can't reprint after he did absolutely nothing last year against San Francisco. We need a SportsNation vote on this. Once and for all, what's the dude's nickname? For now, I'm staying with AP if only because it saves re-writing the headline and it'll really hack off folks from Oklahoma. I grew up in Texas and I was taught that every time you hack off folks from Oklahoma, an angel gets its wings.

Now if you've seen my rankings, you know I have Peterson ranked fourth overall. So how can I declare that I "hate" Adrian Peterson? Is it just a cheap ploy to get you to click on the article? It's a good question because frankly, I'm all about cheap ploys. Somewhere in this piece, there's a naked picture of Jessica Alba!

But for once, it's actually relevant. Because saying I hate Peterson is as good an example of the "Love / Hate" and judgment as there is.

Look, fantasy sports is as much about value as anything else. I talk about this and pretty much everything else you need to know strategywise in my Draft Day Manifesto, but basically, you win leagues not with your first-round picks, but by grabbing a Brandon Marshall late (as I recommended last June 25, before everyone else was on the bandwagon; look it up, baby!). However, your first pick is still important. It's the face of your team and your statistical bedrock.

So I rank them LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Joseph Addai and Peterson. Which means if I have the first or second pick, I'm not taking Peterson. And if I have the fourth pick, he's not falling to me. Hence, I won't have Peterson on any team.

Here's why: Peterson is a bit injury prone. He missed two games last season and time in college. He's also inconsistent. He had single-digit fantasy points in four of his final six games. (Of course, he had more than 20 points in the other two games, hence his high ranking).

Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor

Having both Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor is good for the Vikings, but it's not good for either's fantasy value.

The Vikings still don't have a quarterback. Which means teams will put eight and even nine guys in the box to stop him. What the Vikings do have is a healthy Chester Taylor to take some touches away. Meanwhile, Westbrook has averaged more than 2,000 total yards and 11.5 touchdowns the past two years, he's missed only two games in that time (same amount of games Peterson missed last year) and he continues to be the focal point of an offense that is tailor-made for him. Last year's No. 1 fantasy running back (Tomlinson) scored only 24 points more than Westbrook, or less than two points a week.

As for Addai, he scored the exact same amount of points last year as Peterson, and he missed basically three games (one for injury and then Weeks 16 and 17, when he was mostly rested). He also hurt you down the stretch some, but I feel he's safer. Peterson has more upside, Addai is safer. And he has done it for one year longer.

But obviously, I feel Peterson is going to have a monster year. A much better year than, say, Kenny Watson of the Bengals, who is on my "love" list. So why is Peterson on the "hate" and Watson on the "love?"

Because it's about value. And where you draft. And I've already stated I don't like Peterson at No. 2. But in the later rounds, when you're in the "drafting backup running backs and hoping to get lucky" phase of the draft, Kenny Watson's one of the first ones I target.

This list is my version of a sleeper and bust list. Players I like a lot more or a lot less than where the general ESPN Rankings currently have them. That simple. So let's get to it.

Can join my league set up for Yardbarkers only. on espn.com just look for the YardBarker league. When asked for the password, type in Yardbarker.

Can join my league set up for Yardbarkers only. on espn.com just look for the YardBarker league. When asked for the password, type in Yardbarker.