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Email Update 7/28/02 Volume 3 Issue # 44
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Titans CB Rolle out 1 month
2. Saints Agree to terms with Donte Stallworth
3. Eyes focus on Jamal Lewis
4. Warrick shoots for greatness
5. Ferguson key to overhaul at receiver
6. Q&A with Mike Tice
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1. Titans CB Rolle out 1 month
Clipped from the ESPN article:
Tennessee starting cornerback Samari Rolle could miss the remainder
of Titans training camp after severely spraining his right ankle.
Rolle, the team leader in interceptions each of the past three
seasons, had X-rays on Sunday and was scheduled to undergo more
extensive tests Monday.
He was injured during Saturday's morning workout. Coach Jeff Fisher
said Rolle could miss up to four weeks.
"He's going to have to be shut down, regardless of what the
additional tests say, probably a week, maybe 10 days immobilized,''
Fisher said. "Then he'll be treated symptomatically, which means as
soon as he can run and build the strength back into it he'll be OK.''
Rolle turned his ankle when he stepped on the back of the foot of
teammate Kevin Dyson during a 1-on-1 drill.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
This definitely needed the time in camp to come together as a unit.
Samari Rolle is likely to be back in time to play the first game so
this has more to do with team chemistry than anything. We will be
downgrading the Tennessee defense in our next projections release.
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2. Saints Agree to terms with Donte Stallworth
Clipped from the ESPN article:
There remains some language to be resolved on a few issues,
like "escalator" clauses, but Stallworth will sign a six-year deal
that voids to five years if he reaches minimum playing time
benchmarks. Over five years, the contract for the 13th overall choice
is worth about $8.9 million. The combination of initial signing bonus
and a second-level option bonus due next spring is $5.9 million.
Stallworth should report Monday for training camp.
His brief absence from camp aside, Stallworth should eventually claim
the starting spot opposite Joe Horn, and his deep speed will be a
welcome addition. Coordinator Mike McCarthy plans to spread the field
more than he did a year ago, in part to create some creases for
tailback Deuce McAllister, and Stallworth is likely to have some
secondaries backpedaling as soon as New Orleans breaks the huddle.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
We love Donte Stallworth and believe he will have a huge career in
the NFL. The question is will he be productive this year? Rookie
WRs usually struggle with the NFL game, but Donte could be the
exception. He is pushing for a starting job opposite Joe Horn, but
will need to beat out newly acquired Jerome Pathon.
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3. Eyes focus on Jamal Lewis
The Ravens' star running back intensifies his yearlong return from
reconstructive surgery tomorrow when he takes his first hit since
blowing out his left knee Aug. 8.
By watching Lewis cut through traffic and bounce off tacklers, the
Ravens will have a better handle on how far he has come since tearing
his anterior cruciate ligament - and how close he is to the power
runner who carried the offense in their Super Bowl run.
NFL history shows it takes a player with a torn ACL between a year
and 18 months to truly regain his game. Lewis argues he will be back
to his old self this season.
In reality, no one knows.
"I feel like I'm the best running back in the league," Lewis
said. "All I have to do is get back on the field and show what I can
do."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Everyone is interested to see if Jamal Lewis is back. The fact that
he was running with a limp just over a month ago has pushed his value
to record low levels this season. He now could be a very good
sleeper if he can sustain the hits. Because Jamal has went through
this process before (recovered from major knee surgery in college) he
may be better suited than most to recover quicker that the usual 18
month window. We will watch this situation closely for you in the
coming weeks.
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4. Warrick shoots for greatness
Clipped from the Cincinnati Enquirer article:
Warrick's 51 catches in 2000 were second-most for an NFL rookie, and
his seven touchdowns � four receiving, two rushing and one on a
punt return � were a triple-threat first for a Bengals player.
Although he scored just one touchdown in 2001, Warrick improved to 70
pass receptions in the new offense brought in by coordinator Bob
Bratkowski. Warrick also hasn't missed a game because of injury.
Yet a cloud of underachievement, fairly or unfairly, hangs over the
third-year receiver.
Warrick has discussed his personal and team goals with Jon Kitna, who
last year was the third starting quarterback Warrick played with in
his career.
"He wants to be great," Kitna said of Warrick. "I talk to
him a lot about getting 100 catches. To get 100, you need a little
more than six a game, which he can do. He gets 10, 11, 12 balls
thrown at him a game. So he has to catch the balls that are there and
make some great catches. I have to get him the ball.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Peter Warrick is being forgotten in many draft this year. In mock
drafts taking place at Antsports.com, Warrick is being selected as
the 41st WR this year. That does not seem consistent with a Cincy
team that looks to be much improved. Warrick is young (25 years
old), fast and was picked 4th overall in the 2000 draft. Although we
do not see him getting 100 catches, we think he could "breakout" this
season. Definitely someone you will want to add to your growing
sleeper list.
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5. Ferguson key to overhaul at receiver
Clipped from PackerNews.com article:
There's an old saying in the NFL that a player is either getting
better or worse. No one stays the same.
That axiom helps explain why coach Mike Sherman overhauled his
receiving corps from last year. In their three seasons starting
together, departed Antonio Freeman's and Bill Schroeder's
reception totals both dropped each year: From 74 to 62 to 52 for
Freeman, and from 74 to 65 to 53 for Schroeder. Their supporters
might cite any number of reasons for the decline, but the bottom line
was, when compared with other starting receivers in the NFL, both had
trouble getting open consistently.
The Packers still think that getting open will be one of
Ferguson's greatest assets.
"He struggled a little bit (Saturday getting off the line),"
said Ray Sherman, the Packers' receivers coach. "But I'm
not concerned about that, that's why you work on different things,
you work on techniques. It's just the first day, we've got a
ways to go.We're going to work on that and get him to where
he'll be comfortable."
Last year at this time, Ferguson was unprepared to play in the NFL
even though he was a second-round draft pick. After two years in
junior college, he had only one season of major-college football at
Texas A&M before entering the draft, and then he missed the June
minicamp as a rookie because of a back injury.
He didn't hit the playbook hard enough early in training camp and
never challenged for a job in the playing rotation by the end of
training camp. So he spent 15 of 16 games inactive and didn't
catch a pass.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Ferguson will beat out Donald Driver, Charles Lee and rookie Javon
Walker for the coveted #2 spot in Green Bay. He has dropped his
weight by 8 lbs and is working extremely hard in camp. Driver, at
188 lbs, is better suited to be a slot receiver so will likely be the
#3 WR. Javon Walker looks to be a big star down the road, but it's
unlikely he can grasp the offense after scoring just a 9 on the
wonderlic (IQ test - max score = 50)
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6. Q&A with Mike Tice
Clipped from the Pioneer Press Article:
Q: What battles at this training camp excite you the most?
A: There's going to be a battle for the starting X (wide receiver)
job. Everybody in the nation probably thinks that Derrick Alexander
is our starting X. But that's not true. D'Wayne Bates is our starting
X, and that's going to be a hell of a battle between those two...You
talk about running back. Moe Williams, James Wofford and Doug
Chapman. That's a hell of a battle for the No. 2 job. Then you start
talking about the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 receivers. Who is it? Is it Chris
Walsh, Cedric James, Kelly Campbell, Nick Davis or Sean Dawkins?
Q: Will there be a greater emphasis on the passing game?
A: No. There will be a greater emphasis on balance on first and
second down. I don't ever want to look down and see that we threw the
ball 70 percent and ran it 30 percent. The emphasis will be balance
on first and second down. That's the philosophy that will be etched
in stone. There will never be that wide disparity in the ratios.
Q: What do you expect out of Michael Bennett this year?
A: First of all, Michael's role starts with the guys up front. We
expect our guys up front to be more consistent than they were last
year. Secondly, Michael's approach to the game this offseason with
(running backs coach) Dean Dalton was very, very intricate. The steps
that he takes in his approach to the line of scrimmage before he gets
the ball are very precise. We looked at all the plays he ran during
his junior year at Wisconsin, and we implemented some of those plays.
I think Michael is comfortable in our system, and Michael, in his own
way, is a leader, and I look for Michael to become a more explosive
part of our offense.
Q: What do you expect out of Moss?
A: I expect Randy to be the best player in the National Football
League. I expect Randy to enjoy the moment. I expect Randy to enjoy
what he does, because, in my opinion, he's the best there is. I'd
like to see Randy have a smile on his face. He just got his braces
off, and he's got a nice smile. So I think he needs to enjoy what he
does. That's what I expect.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
We remain high on Randy Moss and Michael Bennett and the coach has
said nothing to dissuade us into believing they will not be big parts
of this offense. D'Wayne Bates has made great strides and may
actually hold off Derrick Alexander who is learning the offense.
That could make D'Wayne a very inexpensive pickup in most leagues.
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That's going to do it here.
David Dodds
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