|
|
Login / Signup | ||
|
**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Footballguys.com Daily Email Update Volume 4 Issue # 90a August 15, 2003 /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Hi Folks, Of all the stuff we do at Footballguys.com, one of the things I'm most excited about this year is that we'll be featuring my good friend Bob Harris. All season long Harris will bring you some of the most detailed insights you'll find anywhere. Bob's always done a few things for us, throwing out a teaser here and there. But to get the full stories, you had to subscribe to his Flashupdate Report. But now, Footballguys.com readers are getting the total package from Bob as he's our Senior NFL Analyst. We'll be holding nothing back as he brings to you all the Team Notes, Matchup Info and Breaking News that used to be just for his Flashupdate subscribers. I personally would pay twice our subscription cost just for Harris' stuff (And I used to do just that for several years before we started working together) Sample of the Team Notes Subscribers will receive in season But we couldn't wait until September to start hitting you with Bob's stuff. Here's a small taste of what we'll be doing. I asked him to throw together some random thoughts and opinions he sees each week and here's what happens. Let me know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]. Let's get right to it. Take it away, Bob. Joe /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/Fantasy Reporter's Notebook with Bob Harris/August 14, 2003 A weekly review of Fantasy-specific news and notes of interest /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Following up on an item in last week's Notebook -- the "Money Talks" portion. ... As unsavory as many might find it, it certainly appears my take on the Cleveland's quarterback competition wasn't far off. In an article published Tuesday, Akron Beacon Journal staff writer Terry Pluto advised readers that Carmen Policy appears to be preparing Browns fans for the inevitable. When talking about the quarterback situation, the Browns president said all the right things about it being the coach's decision. But he added, "I hope (Butch Davis) doesn't take too much heat when he makes the decision." Leading Pluto to believe Tim Couch will get the nod over Kelly Holcomb. As Policy explained it: "Tim has been there. He's been our guy since Year One. He's taken the beatings. He's still young (26) and going into his fifth season. It's hard to give up on that upside." Pluto then went on to confirm my darkest, most cynical suspicions by admitting that something else is at work here: Money. Do they bench Couch in favor of a 30-year-old career backup who makes $875,000? Davis and the front office paid Couch as if they were projecting stardom for him. He chews up 11 percent of the team's salary cap this season and next year, his cap figure is $9.2 million. Consider that he was the top pick in the 1999 draft, and then was handed a $12 million bonus. Two years later, they paid Couch the $8.75 million bonus to prevent him from becoming a restricted free agent. So the Browns have paid Couch nearly $21 million in bonus money. That doesn't count the $6.2 million he's being paid this season, the fourth-highest base salary in the NFL. All of which could easily lead the average man in the street to believe Couch was handed the starting job mostly based on his salary and draft status. And as Pluto argues: "They'll scream for Holcomb at the first Couch interception, or even a poorly thrown pass. Home games can become a nightmare for Couch, who struggled last season on the lakefront." He went on to predict fans will almost certainly keep Couch on a short leash, and they'll be convinced Holcomb is superior, at least until he gets a chance to prove otherwise. I couldn't agree more. ... And just to clarify the whole "Money Talks" thing one last time here. Those of you who argue that money doesn't always determine the outcome of a given situation are correct. The hierarchy goes like this: 1) Winning; 2) Money; 3) Performance; and 4) Loyalty. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/Bold Predictions (Part I). ... As reported by Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Mark Curnutte, Chad Johnson has set a goal of 1,800 receiving yards for the 2003 season. Johnson is coming off a 1,166-yard season, fifth-best in Bengals history. The only receiver in the 83 years of the NFL to have 1,800 receiving yards in a season is Jerry Rice. He had 1,848 with San Francisco in 1995. Johnson is looking for coach Marvin Lewis, offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and wide receivers coach Alex Wood to push him to greater production. To reach 1,800, Johnson will need to average 112.5 yards a game over 16 games. Johnson's single-game career high is 152 receiving yards, against the Steelers on Nov. 24. Three times he has exceeded 112.5 in individual games. Sounds to me like Johnson's mouth is writing checks his quarterbacks probably can't cash. ... /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/The Pro's Projections. ... According to Kansas City Star staffer Adam Teicher, if the Chiefs' plans materialize, the one ball quarterback Trent Green has to distribute will get sliced into smaller pieces than many expected this year. Priest Holmes and Tony Gonzalez will get their share. And as Teicher added, with Marc Boerigter and Dante Hall seeing increased playing time behind starters Johnnie Morton and Eddie Kennison, it's not hard to figure the shares that will diminish. "In this offense, with the guys we have, you really can't be selfish," Kennison said. "You take what's given and you run with it. It's not like we have just one standout person on this team. We have numerous guys that can make things happen." The move to Hall and Boerigter makes perfect sense based on last year's play. Hall and Boerigter, in far less playing time than Kennison and Morton, combined for 40 receptions and 11 touchdowns. Morton and Kennison combined for 82 catches and three touchdowns. Ideally, the Chiefs would in a season get about 1,000 yards each from Morton, Kennison and Gonzalez and the combination of Hall and Boerigter. They also would like about 2,000 yards rushing and receiving from the running backs. None of the players met those goals last year except Holmes, who totaled almost 2,300 yards despite missing two games. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/Bold Predictions (Part II) Asked specifically about his goals in Atlanta, Price said: "I just want to have better statistics than I did last year. Last year I had 94 catches; this year I'm shooting for 100. Last year I had around 1,250 yards, this year I'm shooting for around 1,400 this year. Last year I had nine touchdowns and I want to have double digits this year." Based on his work in camp the last three weeks, Price's goals don't sound nearly as unrealistic as they did two months ago. ... /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/According to Pro Football Weekly, rookie running back Tony Hollings ran into a setback last week and was held out of Houston's preseason opener against Denver because of continued soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. Team officials don't consider the soreness a serious or long-term setback, but they are being extra cautious. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/Bold Predictions (Part III) "I'm shooting for the sky," Clark said. "There wasn't a tight end that had 80 catches last year, so I'm trying to be on top of the league. But if it's 40 catches and we win 14 or 15 games, then I'm happy. It's not a personal thing because all the personal accolades come when your team is winning anyway. But I'm shooting for 80." As high as I might be on Clark, Chicago's chances of winning 14 games this year are far better than the former Wake Forest wideout's chances of pulling in 80 passes. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/According to the Sports XChange, Wesley Walls was used extensively in double tight-end formations with Bubba Franks last week in practice. "We like it in certain down and distances and parts of the field," offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said. "But it takes a fullback off the field and we think we've got two pretty good fullbacks." As for Walls, Rossley said, "I don't want to make a big judgment right now. I think he's picking it up pretty quick. He's done a good job. Looks like he's still running. He's got live legs right now. We'll see." Walls worked out on his own and stunned coaches upon arrival in Green Bay. His workout was unbelievable," tight ends coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "He looks like he's 30, 27 years old. The routes he was running, I told the guys that's what they're supposed to look like." Walls is carrying 252 pounds and says he feels better than he has in two or three years. He intends to show people that he can get deep down the middle of a two-deep secondary. ... "I haven't lost a step, if that's what everybody's wondering," he said. "Everybody always talks about how slow I am, but seems like I always find a way to get some separation. And that's the key to the game." Walls suffered tears of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in 2000 and 2001 but doesn't wear a brace and says it doesn't bother him in the least. "I'll have my good days and my bad days," he said. "I am a 37-year-old man. But I'll have a lot more good ones. I feel very confident in my abilities or I would not do this." So. ... Am I the only one here thinking back to Keith Jackson's arrival in Green Bay back in 1995? I bet not. And just for the record, Jackson finished the 1995 season with one touchdown catch in nine games; but he roared back to life in '96, pulling in 40 catches -- 10 of them touchdowns. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/Bold Predictions (Part IV) However, it wasn't so much the pick that struck me as the prose used to designate him such. Or as Purdy put it: "Johnson, the Raiders' second-round draft pick from Stanford who is going to revolutionize the tight end position for the team and make grown men and women weep and scream and go on healthful protein diets to prolong their lives so they can watch him play out his long and spectacular career. ..." While Purdy's assessment was admittedly a bit over the top, there's no denying that Johnson has been turning heads since his arrival in Oakland. "Teyo Johnson is what we think he is," said head coach Bill Callahan. "As we watched him out there on the flank, on the perimeter, he still has those wide-receiving skills but he also has those blocking skills inside. We're pleased with his progress right now." Johnson is listed second on the depth chart at tight end, behind Doug Jolley. But it's no secret that the team has big plans for Johnson. In fact Callahan claims Johnson will also line up at wide receiver or as an H-back behind Rich Gannon. Bottom line? Johnson might not start every game, but he's definitely going to finish a lot of plays for the Raiders this year. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/That's it for this week folks. But hang tight. Don't panic; remain calm: the Fantasy Reporter's Notebook will be back this same time next week. Bob HarrisSenior NFL Analyst - www.Footballguys.com /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Note from Joe - As I said, before, this is just a tiny sliver of what Bob will be doing for us in season this year. Starting with week one, he'll be throwing enough detailed info at you that you'll be the most prepared guy in your league. For information on how you an sign up and receive all of Bob's insights plus the huge number of other features we'll offer, check out our "Why Subscribe?" section at http://footballguys.com/whysubscribe.htm Hope you'll ride with us this season as it's going to be fun. Joe |
|
|
Site Map | Contact
Us | Login
/ Signup
©Copyright Footballguys.com 2003, All rights reserved. |