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Email Update 7/5/02 Volume 3 Issue # 21
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Fantasy Links
2. Commentary Draft (Survivor Style)
3. Article Rampage Continues
4. Does schedule favor weaker teams?
5. Jamal Lewis the Key to Ravens Season
6. Westbrook Carries Baggage
7. Training Camp Dates
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Hello Folks,
Hope everyone had a safe and sane 4th of July. Now let's talk some
football.
David Dodds
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Fantasy Links
Fantasy Team Links
Clayton Gray has assembled an invaluable set of resources with these
pages. Check them out. You will be glad you did.
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Commentary Draft Continues
All Picks
Round 4 Commentary
Twelve members from the Footballguys.com staff held a draft on June
27th. Each day, we show a round of picks with commentary on the
particular player. In total, this commentary draft will evaluate 216
players.
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Article Rampage Continues
We released 5 articles yesterday and have another 10 that will be
released in a few days. Be sure to check them out. Some very good
reads.
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Does schedule favor weaker teams?
Clipped from the Boston Herald:
A recent trend in the NFL has seen teams improve very quickly from
losing records and go deep into the playoffs the following season.
Recent history shows the following one-year turnarounds:
* The Rams went from 4-12 in 1998 to 13-3 and a Super Bowl
championship in 1999.
* The Ravens were 6-10 in 1999 but rebounded to go 12-4 and win the
Super Bowl in 2000.
* The Patriots were 5-11 in 2000 then improved to 11-5 in 2001 and
took the Super Bowl in 2001 with a last-second field goal by Adam
Vinatieri.
The above three teams all had something in common: a weak schedule in
their Super Bowl season.
Here's the breakdown:
* The Patriots had the fourth-easiest schedule last year (115-
141 .449) and finished 2-3 against teams with winning records.
* In 2000, the Ravens had the third-easiest schedule (109-147 .426).
* The Rams played the easiest schedule in 1999 (100-156 .363).
According to ESPN.com, there are several teams to watch this season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, despite playing in the AFC Championship last
year, compete against teams that were 110-130 last fall. The Steelers
play only five games against teams with winning records in 2001.
Tampa Bay is another team to keep an eye on, according to the Web
site. Their strength of schedule is the ninth easiest in the NFL (123-
133 .480) and they will tee it up against only six teams with winning
records. The Saints will likely provide the Buccaneers with their
stiffest competition.
The Bengals could be another team that turns it around quickly.
Cincinnati plays the fourth-easiest schedule (111-129 .463) and plays
only five teams with records of better than .500 in 2001.
Keep in mind that the Bills, Chargers, Cardinals and Chiefs play 10
games against teams with winning marks while the Titans, Colts,
Browns and Redskins play six (or less) games against clubs with
winning records.
The Houston Texans, an expansion club, has the NFL's easiest
schedule, playing teams that went 113-143 last season.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
This is obvious to us fantasy players, but am glad to see a few
journalists catching on. Maybe one of these days the journalists
will even find our schedule strength which breaks this down a whole
lot better:
Schedule Strength
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Jamal Lewis the Key to Ravens Season
Clipped from the Maryland Sun Spot:
THERE IS ONE CONSTANT in the year of change for the Ravens: The key
to the coming season is running back Jamal Lewis.
He is the other Lewis, besides middle linebacker Ray, who the Ravens
can't afford to lose. Even with a starting lineup intact, the Ravens
will struggle to reach .500 in 2002. Without Jamal, they'll struggle
to win a few games. Period.
Ravens officials know that. With the opening of training camp about
three weeks away, they're holding their collective breath and
crossing fingers that Lewis shows up healthy.
Lewis was on a Florida beach yesterday. He plans to fly into
Baltimore the night before training camp, but plans to change clothes
in a Westminster phone booth.
"I'm going to be looking like Superman," Lewis said. "I've got a lot
to prove and a lot to accomplish. We've got a lot of young guys, and
I've got to be one of the leaders."
Impressive, huh?
Here's more: Lewis tore the anterior cruciate ligament and sprained
the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Aug. 8, forcing him
to miss the 2001 season. Since the last mandatory camp ended June 13,
the third-year veteran has worked out daily with personal trainer
Tony Villanie from 8 in the morning until noon, mostly on speed and
stabilization drills for the knee.
Once a week Lewis travels to the beach, working exclusively on knee
drive. He says he weighs 245 and will report at 235. Comeback
attempts are nothing new. There was major reconstructive surgery on
his right knee as a sophomore at the University of Tennessee.
"For me, it's been easier because I've been there," Lewis said. "I
knew what it was going to take. Looking back when it happened last
year, I really didn't get hit. I kind of got nicked, but my knee was
in the right place at the right time. It was meant to happen.
"Some people have suggested it's a two-year injury, but I can't think
that way," Lewis said. "I'm going into this thinking that I'm just as
good as before, that I've got my speed back to where it was before
when I turned the corner on the sidelines."
It was beautiful to watch, a 5-foot-11, 235-pound diesel running
downhill. As a rookie, Lewis was the rare blend of speed and power
who ran around and through defenses for 1,364 yards on 309 carries.
He scored six touchdowns - most via the air in the red zone - with
Lewis going airborne over the line of scrimmage with that vintage,
outstretched-arm move.
Ball control and a great defense, that was the Ravens' forte then.
But times have changed. The Ravens are young. Seven starters from the
league's best defense the past two years are gone. The top two
candidates for the No. 2 running back position are rookies.
The Ravens need Lewis to run. In the words of the King of Soul, James
Brown, "Please, Please, Please," let the kid be able to run.
No player would benefit more than quarterback Chris Redman. A running
game would take a lot of pressure off the third-year player, who has
seen less than two full quarters of playing time. Redman could use
the time to become more comfortable with receivers Brandon Stokley,
Todd Heap and Travis Taylor, who are nearly as inexperienced as
Redman.
If Lewis gets injured again, that would leave the Ravens with Chester
Taylor and Tellis Redmon as possible starters. Things could get ugly.
"That is a little scary," coach Brian Billick said. "You have to be
as nervous about the situation as the Colts were last year with
[Edgerrin] James and [Dominic] Rhodes as his backup. I'd like to
bring in another veteran, but we don't have that option."
The defense needs Lewis to play well, too. Here's what is going to
happen: Teams will isolate on young linebackers Adalius Thomas, Ed
Hartwell and cornerback Gary Baxter, and they'll give up big plays
early. But if Lewis runs well, the less time the trio will spend on
the field.
If the Ravens can't run the ball, the front seven, with four new
players, stays on the field longer.
The Ravens know about the importance of Lewis. They've maintained
constant contact with him at the University of Tennessee, where he
works out. When there are any communication problems, the Ravens
dispatch a coach or trainer faster than SWAT teams move in on a
hostage situation.
At the end of the team's last minicamp, Lewis said he was at 90
percent, which was a slight exaggeration. He was too big, and huffing
and puffing at the end of long runs and practice.
A limp was also noticeable after a long run.
"Bill [Tessendorf, the trainer] attributed that limp to fatigue,"
Billick said. "We've seen him steadily get stronger. At the first
passing camp, you could see a little bit of hitch. He ran strong,
hard, but it was noticeable. During the second passing camp in the
first week of June, the hitch seemed to be gone, but we didn't do
much.
"The second week of June, we had more of regular practices, and you
could see the fatigue," Billick said. "That's fairly typical. A
player usually concentrates more on rehabbing the knee than on his
cardiovascular. But Jamal noticed the fatigue and that he couldn't
carry that weight coming into camp."
It's a safe bet to assume Lewis will report in great shape. He is too
eager to succeed, too young to quit. The Ravens will limit his amount
of practice and playing time in the preseason. They won't know if the
old Lewis is back until the regular season.
"I think there will be two phases," Billick said. "The first will be
taking that first big hit and getting through the first physical
practice. The second will come when he might be asked to carry the
ball that 24th or 25th time, when that limp shows up, not because he
is injured, but because he is tired."
Lewis said: "At first, I thought this was going to be a tough year,
but the guys have picked things up fast, and they're looking good.
They have surprised me a lot. Now I just have to come in and play my
part. I'm looking forward to putting on the pads again, getting hit.
The first game will be the biggest game of the season for me."
And maybe for the Ravens.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
You have to love the attitude and the work ethic. But until he can
consistently run in practice without the hitch, Jamal Lewis will
remain low on our draft boards. But this will be a situation we
watch very closely. Let's not forget that Jamal Lewis ran for 1,364
yards and caught another 296 yards while leading the Ravens to a
Super Bowl season in 2000.
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Westbrook Carries Baggage
Clipped from the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Michael Westbrook brawled with running back Stephen Davis. He drew an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing his helmet, which helped
cost the Washington Redskins a playoff berth. He complained about the
number of passes thrown his way. He accused an official of nepotism.
And he often was injured.
But the Bengals look at his seven seasons with the Redskins as past
problems. The team says its new wide receiver, who agreed to terms
Tuesday, can not only be an impact player on the team, but a leader.
"If people are straight with him," said Bengals wide
receivers coach Steve Mooshagian, "and I think they will be,
there won't be any problems."
Westbrook blamed his problems in Washington on immaturity. He came
into the NFL with high expectations, as the fourth overall choice in
the 1995 draft.
"I was trying to figure out how to be a man in this game,"
Westbrook said. "Obviously, everything I've done in this game has
proven that I am a man now in this game, on and off the field."
Westbrook, who turns 30 Sunday, said most of his problems were in his
earlier years. The most publicized was his fight with Davis, in 1997.
Westbrook says they later became friends.
"People in Washington still hold the fight against me, and it
happened six, seven years ago." Westbrook said. "It happened,
but it shouldn't have made my journey so rough."
Even now, Westbrook told Washington media Tuesday and reiterated
Wednesday, 80 percent of Redskins fans hated him.
He was talented but inconsistent and often injured. His best season
was in 1999, when he caught 65 passes for 1,191 yards, averaging 18.3
yards, but the 6-foot-3, 221-pound receiver played in two games the
following season because of a knee injury.
Last season, he caught a team-leading 57 passes for 664 yards, but
then-coach Marty Schottenheimer preferred a run-oriented,
conservative offense. New coach Steve Spurrier prefers smaller wide
receivers.
Westbrook said he hopes Bengals coaches, players and fans give him a
chance.
"(Judge me) not by the cover, but look on the inside," he
said, "what they get when they open the pages. Read it for
yourself, and you tell me what you think about it."
Bengals offensive tackle Willie Anderson said Westbrook will get a
fair shot in Cincinnati.
"He has to buy into the system, being the new guy," Anderson
said. "If you can come in and, first of all, jell with the rest
off the guys, it could be a good situation.
"He's got to fit in and not be a hothead."
On the field, Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski sees
Westbrook as "a perfect fit" for Cincinnati, even though
Westbrook plays the the same weak-side receiver position played last
season by Darnay Scott opposite Peter Warrick. Bratkowski's offense
features a lot of three-receiver sets.
Mooshagian said the Bengals want Scott to return, if he is willing to
renegotiate his contract. If not, Westbrook will replace Scott as the
most experienced receiver on the team, whose other wide receivers
have two or fewer years of experience. Scott also turns 30 Sunday.
"I have spoken to Michael about coming in here and assuming a
leadership role," Bratkowski said. "We're rather
inexperienced at the wide receiver position, and we'll look to him to
be a leader, both by his actions and by his words."
Bratkowski said he hopes Westbrook can tutor Warrick, another wide
receiver who entered the league with high expectations.
Mooshagian said he likes that Westbrook is a little different than
the average NFL player. An average evening for Westbrook is reading
books at home. Westbrook said he never has tried cigarettes or
alcohol; he prefers juice.
He also is not afraid to speak his mind. He insists his move to the
Bengals came because he wanted to play for a team that really wanted
him.
"Because if they really want you, they're going to use you,"
he said. "That really got me going."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Michael Westbrook does come with a full set of baggage, but he could
be just the receiver this team needs. Peter Warrick and Chad Johnson
need a veteran presence to take pressure off them. Jon Kitna and Gus
Frerotte also need a WR who can consistently run to the spot he is
suppose to. If Westbrook holds it all together, this team got a lot
better with this pickup. Now if the owner would just loosen the
wallet a little and spend the rest of his available cap position,
this might be a good team.
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Training Camp Dates:
49ers - July 20 (rookies, vets)
Bears - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Bengals - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Bills - July 24 (rookies), July 26 (veterans)
Broncos - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Browns - July 22 (rookies), July 25 (veterans)
Buccaneers - July 28 (rookies, vets)
Cardinals - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Chargers - July 22 (rookies), July 25 (veterans)
Chiefs - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Colts - July 28 (rookies, vets)
Cowboys - July 26 (rookies, vets)
Dolphins - July 25 (rookies), July 28 (veterans)
Eagles - July 26 (rookies), July 29 (veterans)
Falcons - July 15 (rookies, vets)
Giants - July 24 (rookies, vets)
Jaguars - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Jets - July 26 (rookies, vets)
Lions - July 24 (rookies, vets)
Packers - July 24 (rookies), July 26 (vets)
Panthers - July 26 (rookies, vets)
Patriots - July 22 (rookies), July 25 (veterans)
Raiders - July 24 (rookies, vets)
Rams - July 26 (rookies, veterans)
Ravens - July 25 (rookies, vets)
Redskins - July 22 (rookies, vets)
Saints - July 26 (rookies, vets)
Seahawks - July 26 (rookies, vets)
Steelers - July 24 (rookies, vets)
Texans - July 20 (rookies, vets)
Titans - July 24 (rookies), July 25 (veterans)
Vikings - July 26 (rookies, vets)
That's all for today,
David Dodds
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