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Footballguys.com Daily Email Update
Volume 4 Issue # 107
August 31, 2003 
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1. RB Martin (NYJ) Can Expect To Carry The Early Load 
2. Steelers To Unveil West Coast Offense
3. RB Chapman (MIN) Still Not Practicing
4. PK Vanderjagt (IND) Wins Starting Job
5. Buccaneers: Triple Threat At RB
6. RB Kenny Watson (WAS) Released Against Spurrier's Wishes
7. Redskins: TE Flemister To Start, WR Patrick Johnson Wins #3 Job 
8. FB Beasley (SF) To Play Increased Role 
9. CAR: Peete Named Starting Quarterback; Kasey Will Kick 
10. RB Holmes (KC): Hip Stuff 
11. TE Joppru Placed On IR 
12. Teams Make Final Cuts

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Ok, now let's jump to tonight's news and notes. Thanks to Footballguy Shawn Culcasi for rounding these up. Here you go.

Joe

1. RB Martin (NYJ) Can Expect To Carry The Early Load

Clipped From: The Star Ledger (Dave Hutchinson)

Jets coach Herman Edwards wouldn't dare tip his hand before Thursday's opener in Washington, but with the injury to quarterback Chad Pennington and the insertion of Vinny Testaverde into the starting lineup, it's likely Edwards will lean on running back Curtis Martin even more than usual, at least until Testaverde gets in rhythm with the offense.

And that could take as long as four weeks, offensive coordinator Paul Hackett said. The Jets have a bye in Week 5.

In 2001, the Jets rode Martin to 10 victories and a playoff berth, and it wouldn't be a shock if they try to do that again this season, especially with Pennington out at least 12 weeks with a fracture-dislocation of his left wrist. Martin rushed for a career-high 1,513 yards and 10 TDs in 2001, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, also a career best.

Martin has had a lackluster preseason, rushing for only 19 yards on 14 carries. You probably don't remember his preseason stats from 2000, 2001, or 2002; and you may as well forget his 2003 preseason stats as well. Martin had nothing to prove during the preseason, but has demonstrated his ability in previous years to carry the team once the games start to count. We like Martin's chances to produce his ninth straight 1,000-yard rushing season. (Trivia note: so far in his career, Martin has averaged 1406 yards rushing per season in odd-numbered years, compared to only 1184 yards in even-numbered years.)

2. Steelers To Unveil West Coast Offense

Clipped From: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Ed Bouchette)

The offense the Steelers often disdained, the one they scornfully called the "dink and dunk," the one with seeds planted by the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals a generation ago, is the offense they have become.

The Steelers, frustrated in their attempts to return to the Super Bowl the past seven seasons, will unveil their version of the West Coast offense when they open the season a week from today against the Baltimore Ravens at home. They won't call it that, and they do use minor variances, but it is a veiled rendering of the West Coast offense nonetheless.

Apparently, the Steelers' coaching staff has decided that, if you cannot beat them, join them.

Coordinator Mike Mularkey has curtailed the deep passing game in favor of shorter passes with a higher rate of success to control the football. That, in its basics, is the West Coast offense -- the use of mostly short passes to move down the field.

Mularkey and Coach Bill Cowher tipped their hands early when they preached against turning over the ball and then hammered that into their players all summer. On the night they reported to training camp, Mularkey told reporters that he wanted Maddox to not force passes as often as he did last season, when he threw for 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The Steelers were worst in the AFC by losing the football 36 times.

Maddox did not throw an interception in the preseason, although he also threw just one touchdown pass. As a whole, the Steelers lost three interceptions and three fumbles.

The Steelers' offense will differ somewhat from the offense that made the San Francisco 49ers famous. First, their fullback primarily blocks. In the West Coast, the fullback catches a lot of short passes. Other than that, they have turned into a controlled passing game that no longer uses the off-tackle play as its base weapon

"A lot of people look at it and with Plax, myself, Antwaan [Randle El] and the addition of Jay [Riemersma], why not pass when you have those type of weapons?" Ward said. "At the same time, late in the season, it's hard to be a physical team passing the ball all the time. That's not our nature. Yet, we still have three, four good running backs. We need to go out there and use them as much as possible. My whole theory is let's be well-balanced. When defenses think we're going to run the ball let's pass the ball, and when they think we're going to pass the ball, let's run the ball."

The Steelers' decision to start Amos Zereoue over Jerome Bettis and Jay Riemersma over Mark Bruener signals a change from an offense designed around a power running game to an offense that will put the ball in the air more often. The Steelers believe their new offense, with an emphasis on shorter, higher-percentage passes, will prolong their drives and help them win the time-of-possession battles. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out during the regular season, but the emphasis on short passes may benefit Hines Ward, who excels at getting open underneath, while Burress is the team's superior deep threat.

3. RB Chapman (MIN) Still Not Practicing

Clipped From: Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota runner Doug Chapman was unable to practice on Saturday and remains unlikely to see time in the team's opener in Green Bay.

With Chapman out, the team will likely start Moe Williams, and will use rookie Onterrio Smith copiously. The Vikings have run the ball very successfully against the Packers for the past five years.

How often Smith gets the ball may be determined by the extent of Williams' success running the ball early in the game. If Williams is effective, as he may be running behind that huge OL, Smith may not get a huge number of carries in week 1. If he's on your roster, he's someone you should be planning to start in week 3 or 4 at the earliest, depending on how things play out.

4. PK Vanderjagt (IND) Wins Starting Job

Clipped From: CNNSI.com

Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy appeared to declare Mike Vanderjagt the winner in the Colts' kicking derby Saturday.

Vanderjagt, the NFL's most accurate kicker, struggled during the preseason. He missed all of three of his field goal attempts, including a 25-yarder in the preseason opener at Chicago.

Brett Conway was brought in to challenge Vanderjagt and perhaps give the Colts a stronger leg on kickoffs. Conway made 1 of 2 attempts, a 24-yarder against the Bears on Aug. 9, but it apparently wasn't enough.

"The champion always gets the benefit of the doubt unless it's a knockout," Dungy said. "Even then, sometimes, the champion wins."

This was expected, although Brett Conway made things interesting for a while.

5. Buccaneers: Triple Threat At RB

Clipped From: St.Petersburg Times (Rick Stroud)

Jon Gruden may have a solution for his crowded backfield, a triple option he experimented with in the preseason.

How does he choose among running backs Michael Pittman, Thomas Jones and Mike Alstott?

Play all three at once.

The complexity of Gruden's offense stems from his penchant for multiple formations. And with the production of Jones in five preseason games, the Bucs coach wants to keep him on the field as much as possible.

Gruden hinted at the possibility of using all three last week when asked if Jones had earned the opportunity to start.

"He's a guy we will use creatively. In some sets, you may look at him as a starter," Gruden said. "I don't want to say too much right now, but we're going to utilize our backs the best way we can and he will be a big part of that, as will other guys."

Facing Pittman, Jones and Alstott in the same offensive formation is a daunting challenge for the Eagles or any defense.

Jones, Tampa Bay's most instinctive and explosive ball carrier, would line up behind fullback Alstott. Pittman would be split out as a receiver.

In a base defense, an opponent would have to decide whether to cover Pittman with a linebacker, leaving it vulnerable to Jones running behind Alstott. If the linebacker remains inside to guard against the run, Pittman may have a favorable matchup against a safety.

The Bucs used a version of the three-back formation at least once in the preseason in their 10-6 win over the Jaguars. But on that particular play, Aaron Stecker and Pittman joined Jones, who gained 4 yards on a running play.

Alstott's versatility provides Gruden with another option. With Rickey Dudley injured, Alstott could be used in some formations at tight end. Alstott had just seven carries in the preseason.

Jones, once thought of as a contingency if Pittman was lost to legal troubles, has turned out to be much more than that. He led the Bucs in rushing yards (175), average per carry (4.6) and touchdowns (three). As Gruden knows, for a team ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing last season, there can't be enough good running backs.

Jones may end up detracting from Pittman's fantasy value more than the state of Arizona does. As you know if you've been following our daily email updates, Pittman's probation revocation hearing in Arizona has been postponed from September 15 until November 7, which means he should be available to start for the Bucs for at least the first half of the season.

6. RB Kenny Watson (WAS) Released Against Spurrier's Wishes

Clipped From: The Washington Times

Frustration over final cuts surfaced yesterday at Redskin Park, where coach Steve Spurrier said owner Dan Snyder was responsible for dropping quarterback Danny Wuerffel and running back Kenny Watson.

As the Redskins moved to the final 53-man roster in anticipation of today's deadline and Thursday's opener against the New York Jets, Spurrier was asked about the decision to keep Sultan McCullough over Watson. The coach's response made clear he wasn't pleased with some moves.

"You're going to ask me about several players," Spurrier said, "and my answer is very simply this: When the coaching staff and the personnel department disagree about one or two players, the owner steps in and has the final say. That's the way we do things around here. So it was a team decision to keep the players we have around here. We all argue and discuss things, and then when the final decision is made, we all support it."

Team sources confirmed that coaches were frustrated that Wuerffel and Watson were cut. Wuerffel was battling to be the No. 2 quarterback and was expected to be at least third-string, while Watson could have contributed on special teams and as an emergency tailback.

And while Watson may have been last season's No. 2 rusher (534 yards), the feeling was that he was only going to play special teams and that McCullough has a higher upside in 2004 and beyond.

Watson will almost certainly be picked up by another NFL team. He would have been the Redskins' toughest inside runner and possible goal line back, but with Canidate, Betts, Morton, and McCullough all possessing better speed and hands than Watson, Watson became the odd man out in the "Fun 'n' Gun" offense.

7. Redskins: TE Flemister To Start, WR Patrick Johnson Wins #3 Job

Clipped From: The Washington Times

Another of Washington's roster anomalies is the fact the team will carry only two tight ends after cutting undrafted rookie Kevin Ware. Zeron Flemister and Robert Royal will be the only two on the roster, and yesterday coach Steve Spurrier said Flemister has regained his starting spot three weeks after losing it to Royal.

After a strong push at the end of the preseason, Patrick Johnson has moved ahead of wide receivers Taylor Jacobs and Cliff Russell on the Redskins' depth chart.

Johnson, a veteran free agent acquisition, had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown Thursday night at Jacksonville and wound up leading the squad with eight preseason receptions.

"He's come on strongly," Spurrier said. "He definitely made the team in the last couple games."

Washington kept six receivers on its 53-man roster: starters Laveranues Coles and Rod Gardner, followed by Johnson, Jacobs, Russell and Darnerian McCants.

Spurrier plans to dress four or five receivers for each game, meaning at least one player from the group will have to be inactive.

The Redskins' third WR is more likely to have fantasy value this year than their starting tight end. Flemister will be asked to stay in and block more often than he'll be released into the pattern.

It is a bit of an upset for Patrick Johnson to have won the #3 WR job from rookie Taylor Jacobs. We expect the pecking order of the Redskins WRs -- after Coles and Gardner -- to get shuffled around a few times during the season.

8. FB Beasley (SF) To Play Increased Role

Clipped From: SFGate.com

Fred Beasley's first thought when he heard that Dennis Erickson was the 49ers' new coach was a normal one. Self-preservation.

Beasley heard all the noise about Erickson's offensive tendencies. Spread the field. Four wide receivers. One back. No back. As the team's fullback, as one of the NFL's best blocking fullbacks, in fact, Beasley had to wonder what this meant for him.

Was his job in jeopardy?

Turns out that it was not. Turns out, perhaps surprisingly, that Erickson's more wide-open offensive plans did not preclude also giving Beasley an even bigger workload than he had in the past -- and now, with tight end Eric Johnson injured, Beasley's role will increase even more.

The only change is that Beasley will be utilized differently, operating more often as an in-motion H-back instead of the stationary fullback he had been. Erickson explained all that to Beasley in two offseason telephone conversations initiated by the new coach.

In the past, Beasley lined up just in front of the running back in the I- formation or offset in the traditional pro-set, two-back formation. The most movement he did was running on or off the field. Now, Beasley will be on the move a lot. He'll line up next to a tight end, behind a tackle, perhaps as a wideout and then come in motion to the backfield -- or the other way around.

Beasley will still be used mostly as a blocker. He may get some goal line carries, making him worth a roster spot in TD-only leagues, but his real value to the 49ers is in clearing a path for Hearst and Barlow. The fact that he will get to move around before the snap, sometimes lining up as an H-back rather than a fullback, has no direct fantasy implications.

9. CAR: Peete Named Starting Quarterback; Kasey Will Kick

Clipped From: ESPN.com

John Kasay, the lone holdover from the 1995 Carolina Panthers expansion team, will be the team's kicker this season after beating out Shayne Graham.

Coach John Fox also announced Sunday that 37-year-old Rodney Peete will start at quarterback in the opener against Jacksonville.

Kasay looked strong throughout training camp and was 4-for-5 on field-goal attempts during the preseason. Graham was 2-for-4.

At quarterback, Fox said Jake Delhomme will be the backup for the opener and Chris Weinke will remain third on the depth chart.

"As I told the quarterbacks, if we're sitting there on Saturday night and two of them got sick I would feel confident that whoever the third one was we would win with," Fox said.

It had been looking for a while now like the Panthers would open the season with Peete as their starter. However, do not be at all surprised to see Delhomme get plenty of snaps later in the year. The Panthers view him as their quarterback of the future, and the future could start sooner rather than later if Peete falters.

10. RB Holmes (KC): Hip Stuff

Clipped From: The Kansas City Star

Everything about Priest Holmes is shrouded in mystery, from the way he slides through defenses like water leaking through a sieve to the way he deftly sidesteps questions about his surgically repaired hip and up-in-the-air contract status.

It's been that way from the moment Holmes was dragged down from behind just before scoring a touchdown against Denver last Dec. 15. Even the way in which Holmes reacted to the injury was odd.

He didn't roll around on the turf, screaming in agony. He didn't even stay on the ground and wait for trainers to look at him.

Holmes calmly rose off the field and walked away.

From that moment on, nothing about Holmes has been clear.

For every single definitive thing one could say about him -- "He's the best player in the NFL" -- one could ask several unanswerable questions.

"How is the hip?"

"Will he be the same running back who gained more than 4,400 yards from scrimmage during the last two seasons?"

"Will the Chiefs offer him a contract extension, and will Holmes accept it?"

"Is he serious about holding out?"

"Exactly why did the Chiefs select running back Larry Johnson with their first-round pick when the defense so obviously needed an infusion of talent?"

Even now, as the Chiefs prepare for a 2003 season in which everything points toward a playoff run -- from a soft schedule, to an offense that returns intact, to an improved defense -- Holmes holds the key.

"I'm ready," Holmes said. "Everything's good. You'll see."

You wait to hear more but then Holmes stops, as if he's dropping you off like some sucker linebacker and the next thing you know, he's gone.

It's the mysterious side of Holmes that leaves us waiting, wondering and wanting more.

Holmes' childhood friend, Chris Bush, said Holmes has been that way since they were high schoolers in San Antonio.

"You have to understand Priest is one of those guys who when he says he's going to do something, he does it, period," Bush said. "He doesn't make a big deal out of it, he doesn't talk a lot about it, he just goes and does it. He's been like that since I've known him. If he says he's healthy and if he says he will be the old Priest Holmes, you can bet on it."

The full article is worth reading if you are a Holmes owner or potential Holmes owner. There's no question that the Chiefs are an entirely different team with Holmes than they are without him. We do not believe Holmes will end up missing any games this year due to a hold out, but we'd breath a bit easier about it if he gets a new contract done this week.

11. TE Joppru Placed On IR

Clipped From: The Houston Chronicle

The Texans began putting the finishing touches on their season-opening roster Sunday, placing rookie tight end Bennie Joppru on injured reserve and releasing 21 players.

Joppru, a second-round draft choice from Michigan last April, will miss the entire season following surgery last week to correct a pelvic hernia. Coach Dom Capers said Joppru will need six to 12 weeks to recover from the surgery, a timetable that weighed heavily in the decision to place him on injured reserve.

Joppru missed all but the first week of training camp and did not play in the preseason. He began experiencing the discomfort during June minicamp, and the condition worsened shortly after the start of camp in July.

"Many times, the recovery from this type of surgery is more toward the 12 weeks than it is the six," Capers said. "We just felt it was the best thing for our football team to go ahead and place him on injured reserve."

Capers said the Texans originally planned to carry four tight ends. But with Joppru out for the season, there are only three on the roster. Billy Miller, who led the team in receptions last season, and Jabari Holloway are the top two tight ends. The third is Rashod Kent, a former basketball player at Rutgers.

Tough break for the rookie TE. This solidifies Billy Miller's status as the Texans' #1 TE, and we like his chances to repeat as a top 10 fantasy TE again this year.

12. Teams Make Final Cuts

Today's news was dominated by all the teams making their final cuts to trim their rosters to the league-mandated 53 players. You can find all the cut-down moves listed for each team at the following links. The cuts we feel you should know about are listed in the "Our View" section below.

Here are the day's noteworthy cuts:

RB Justin Watson (WAS), QB Danny Wuerffel (WAS), QB Neil O'Donnell (TEN), WR Troy Edwards (STL), TE Rickey Dudley (TB), RB Robert Edwards (MIA), RB Elvis Joseph (JAC), RB Ki-Jana Carter (NO), TE David Sloan (NO), WR Dedric Ward (NE), RB Lamar Smith (GB), RB Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (PIT), RB Larry Ned (MIN), RB Madre Hill (OAK), FB Cecil Martin (OAK), RB Dee Brown (CAR), KR Michael Bates (CAR), WR Marvin Minnis (KC), RB Adrian Murrell (DAL), WR MarTay Jenkins (ATL), RB Autrey Denson (DET), PK Brett Conway (IND)

Most of these players should not have been on your fantasy rosters, but RBs Justin Watson, Adrian Murrell, Larry Ned, and Autrey Denson did make their way on to a fair number of rosters this year. Watson is likely to be picked up by a team in need of depth at RB, perhaps by the Saints. Murrell might be re-signed by the Cowboys in the second week of the season. Ned's and Denson's immediate prospects don't appear quite as good.

A few other notes: The release of MarTay Jenkins by the Falcons (coming on the heels of the release of Trevor Gaylor) means that Quentin McCord looks to have won the #3 WR job in Atlanta. The release of Robert Edwards by the Dolphins means that Travis Minor will be the backup to Ricky Williams. The release of Ki-Jana Carter by the Saints means that James Fenderson should be Deuce McAllister's backup. The release of Lamar Smith by the Packers means that Najeh Davenport is Ahman Green's primary backup.

That'll do it for today, Folks. See you tomorrow the update. And remember, there's still time to subscribe for the season so you can stick with us all season long. Have a great one.

Joe