1st Round Draft: MIA – PHI

This weekend I took notice to what the first round picks for many team were doing. Many were living up to their potential and talent. Others, may have taken to the bench. I decided to look back on each teams 1st round picks over the last few years, this is what I found.

Miami - The Dolphins have had a couple misfires, but pre-Parcels shouldn’t count. This year they picked up CB Vontae Davis, who isn’t starting, but definitely contributes. 2008’s Jake Long is still developing but still should be an anchor on the O-line for quite a few years. 2007’s Ten Ginn Jr is a hard one to figure out, he’ll have games where his stats are amazing, then you won’t hear about him for weeks. 2006 pick Jason Allen still hasn’t broken into the starting line-up. Miami’s bright spot is 2005 pick Ronnie Brown, who gets running room behind solid T Vernon Carey, taken in 2004.

Minnesota - The Vikings don’t necessarily draft consistently, but man have they picked a couple good ones. This year’s WR Percy Harvin is a play maker. If it’s not catching a pass, then its returning a kick. 2007 gave them a guy that 6 other teams are kicking themselves for passing up. 2006 LB Chad Greenway missed his rookie year, but he’s establishing himself as one of the better defenders in the league ever since. 2005 WR Troy Williamson is labeled a bust. Kenechi Udeze is no longer on the team after being picked in 2004. 2003’s Kevin Williams clogs up the middle quite well. Bryant McKinnie has been a starter since 2002.

New England - Like the Colts, this is not a team worried about finding stars in round one, just role players. Although, 2008 pick Jerod Mayo is one of the better LB’s in the league. 2007’s Brandon Meriweather was just in the highlights for his pick-six this week. Laurence Maroney came along in 2006, but the Patriots have never really leaned nor depended on him. The 4 first rounders from 2003-2005 are all respected starters.

New Orleans - To really evaluate the Saints first round picks, you have to start in 1999. That year they put all their chips into one player – Ricky Williams. Talented? yes. Good investment? no. Two years later they draft Deuce McAllister. He was a good player, but only made it through all 16 games once for the Saints. In 2002, they drafted Donte Stallworth and Charles Grant, both talented, but Grant hasn’t been able to reproduce stats like he did early in his career, and Stallworth (in jail) could be the leading Brown’s receiver right now. Jon Sullivan was a defensive tackle taken in 2003 – currently team-less. Finally in 2004, a pick has proven to be worthy of the first round, as Will Smith is one of the better defensive ends. They got another good pick in 2005 with T Jammal Brown, a pro-bowler, although out for this season with injury. We’re all still trying to figure out if 2006’s Reggie Bush can actually be a star, or just a situational playmaker. Robert Meachem (2007) needs to step up and not be lost among the many Saints receivers. Sedrick Ellis is developing into a decent DT in only his second season. Malcolm Jenkins was the top corner taken this last year, but his learning curve is hitting a few roadblocks with various injuries.

NY Giants - Thinking they needed help here, they took receiver Hakeem Nicks with their first pick. Turns out they had a couple other younger guys step up this season. Nicks will have to wait his turn. Last year’s Kenny Phillips seems to have potential, but has been injured this season. CB Aaron Ross is the same story in his third season. 2006’s Mathias Kiwanuka got to start last season with Umenyiora on IR, but has to go back to reserve role now. 2004 produced the infamous Rivers-for-Manning swap. Which didn’t seem so good the first couple years, but Eli has started living up to his famous name (that trophy helps). None of their first rounders before him are still with the team, although 2002’s Jeremy Shockey is a name worth mentioning.

NY Jets - The other NY team looked like they made the best pick in the draft for the first 3 weeks, although still not a bad choice, Mark Sanchez has looked a lot more human. 2008’s Vernon Gholston and Dustin Keller are young but still need to prove they were worthy of first round picks. 2007’s Darrelle Revis is quickly making a name for himself this season. 2006 was a big year as neither T D’Brickashaw Ferguson nor C Nick Mangold has missed a start since being drafted. Interesting note, the other ‘big year’ for the Jets was 2000’s draft. Out of the four taken in the first round, only DE Shaun Ellis is still with the team.

Oakland - Well lets see…Darrius Heyward-Bey. I don’t want to be too hard on him, it’s not his fault he’s fast. Darren McFadden – the first runningback out of a stable of backs taken last year, has produced the least. 2007 – JaMarcus Russell, at least they got a good tight end in the second round. 2006’s Michael Huff lost his starting SS position last year, but has seemed to want to play this season. Fabian Washington, their CB taken in 2005, is now a Raven. 2004’s disappointment Robert Gallery has played slightly better since moving to guard. You’ll have to look to 2003 for a good choice, CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Although, the very next pick, DE Tyler Brayton is now a starter for the Panthers.

Philadelphia - This isn’t a team that tends to pick the “marquee” positions in the first round. They knew they needed to get another weapon for Donovan, so Jeremy Maclin seems like a good pick, and he has contributed well in his first few games. The Eagles didn’t have a first rounder for the previos two years, but picked up DT Brodrick Bunkley in 2006. He’s now in his 3rd year of starting, playing alongside 2005’s DT Mike Patterson. When these guys hit their peak together, the Eagles will be hard to go up the middle on. Shawn Andrews was taken in 2004. While pro-bowl caliber, he’s been an oft-injured guard. You’ll have to look to 1999 for the next first rounder still with the team. Despite what some fans think, I’m pretty sure it was a good choice to get McNabb.

1st Round Draft: DAL – KC

This weekend I took notice to what the first round picks for many team were doing. Many were living up to their potential and talent. Others, may have taken to the bench. I decided to look back on each teams 1st round picks over the last few years, this is what I found.

Dallas - Their 2009 1st round pick…I mean, Roy Williams… has yet to produce. Felix Jones looks to be a rising star, but has to prove he can stay healthy. 2005, 06, and 07 all brought linebackers, yet only DeMarcus Ware is a legit weapon. Although 2005 was good to them as it also gave them starting DE, Marcus Spears.

Denver - Really some ups and downs with these first rounders. Knowshon Moreno is starting out his rookie season very well. Robert Ayers isn’t a starter yet, so we still have to wait to see how he pans out. T Ryan Clady was one of the best picks of 2008. DE Jarvis Moss is fighting just to stay on the roster. 2006 produced Jay Cutler, who actually did pretty well for the Broncos – except in the ‘win’ category. DJ Williams came in 2004 and is one of the leaders on the defense. No 1st rounder before that is still on team.

Detroit - Hey, they didn’t take a receiver this year! Matt Stafford seems to have potential, it’s just unfortunate an injury has had to cut into his learning curve. TE Brandon Pettigrew has been adequate – still plenty of room to grow, and he’s not expected to be amazing right now. Gosder Cherilus is a starter on the O-line, so that works. 2007’s Calvin Johnson is one of those infamous Lion first round receivers, but at least he’s actually proving to be elite. Ernie Sims is a solid OLB, this is the first year he’s actually had a decent supporting cast. Uh, lets not worry about 2002-2005.

Green Bay - The Packers took two defensive guys, Raji and Matthews,  who are already plugged in and learing on the fly, and not doing too bad. 2007’s Justin Harrell isn’t panning out (hence the picking of BJ Raji this year).  2006’s AJ Hawk is a stud. In 2005 Aaron Rodgers fell in the Packers lap, and I couldn’t be happier with his performance as a starter. Another noteworthy pick is 2003’s Nick Barnett who has been the defensive leader for this team since he was a rookie.

Houston - Is already getting production from their pick this year LB Brian Cushing. Last year’s Duane Brown is now a 2nd year starter. I don’t think 2007’s Amobi Okoye is the youngest player in the league anymore, but he should still be a solid DT for the Texans for a very long time. All you critics in 2006 look pretty silly now that Mario Williams is turning out to be a premier end. And, we can’t forget about WR Andre Johnson, drafted in 2003.

Indianapolis - The Colts aren’t really worried about their latest first rounders…they’re usually picking too late to really pick up any of the big names. Donald Brown is one of the three runningbacks taken in the first round this year, he hasn’t really produced major results – but at this point he doesn’t need to. He runs along with 2006 pick Joeseph Addai, who at times seems like a top runningback – and other times is very forgotten. 2007’s Anthony Gonzalez is supposed to be starting now that Marvin Harrison is gone, but an injury might cost him this. 2005 CB Marlin Jackson is the only one that can be labeled bust. It’s safe to say that they did fairly well with their first rounders before that. (Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeny, Reggie Wayne, Peyton Manning)

Jacksonville - Eugene Monroe is expected to be an anchor for the Jags for years to come, so we’ll see how he develops. 2008’s Derrick Harvey has taken over as a starter this season at defensive end. FS Reggie Nelson from 2007 has yet to reproduce/build upon his rookie season stats. Marcedes Lewis is a solid TE, but gets overshadowed by a certain runningback taken round two of 2006. 2003-2005 are all gone from the team, with only 2002’s DT John Henderson ever being a real star for this team.

Kansas City - It’s not that the Chiefs have drafted total busts…just none of them have really become all-stars. DE Tyson Jackson has been thrust in the starting line-up, probably more by default than readiness. Last year also got them a D-lineman in Glenn Dorsey, but he’s also been a pretty quiet starter. WR Dwayne Bowe has shown flashes of game-changing talent but not consistantly. 2006’s Tamba Hali has declined every year since he started strong. 2005’s Derrick Johnson is yet another quiet starter. Then 2003 runningback Larry Johnson seemed like the next big thing, but now seems to be fighting to get out of town.

1st Round Draft: AZ – CLE

This weekend I took notice to what the first round picks for many team were doing. Many were living up to their potential and talent. Others, may have taken to the bench. I decided to look back on each teams 1st round picks over the last few years, this is what I found.

Arizona - The Cardinals have done fairly well with their first rounders. Chris Wells is off to a slow start, getting his feet wet. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is becoming one of the better corners in the league. Levi Brown has been a steady protector. With really only Matt Leinhart being their biggest bust. They flopped a little bit when drafting Bryant Johnson, now a Lion, but made up for it the next year picking up Fitzgerald. Oh, and side note, way back in 2000 they drafted a runningback who couldn’t break into/stay in the starting line up – Thomas Jones (NY Jets).

Atlanta - Peria Jerry hasn’t made a whole lot of noise yet, but their 1st round pick last year is already one of the best passers in the league. Ryan hooks up nicely with their 2005 pick Roddy White. Sam Baker has become a starter on the O-line. Jamaal Anderson is steady but pales in comparison to his counterpart John Abrams. But, everyone will still remember their drama-filled first rounders – Michael Vick (2001) and DeAngelo Hall (2004).

Baltimore - The Ravens picked up some youth for their O-line in drafting Michael Oher this season. Joe Flacco is looking to be one of those rare quarterbacks who comes out firing on all cylinders. Ben Grubbs started at guard all last season and continues this year. DT Haloti Ngata has been clogging up the middle since his rookie season (2006). And, Mark Clayton has not lived up to his potential at wide receiver.

Buffalo - Nothing about the Bills is impressive this season. And, it shows with the lack of production from their top picks. I had to look up the names of their picks from this draft – DE Aaron Maybin and C Eric Wood. I haven’t heard anything big from either, but I’ll give them time. Leodis  ”>McKelvin is a good corner and will surely get better. Marshawn Lynch has a ton of potential, as he had a very impressive rookie season in 2007, but he needs to stop the off-field issues. 2006’s Donte Whitner (S) and John McCargo (DT) have been unimpressive. 2004’s WR Lee Evans doesn’t quite overshadow the disappointment of QB JP Losman.

Carolina - The Panthers didn’t have a first round pick this season, but did have two in 2008. Both RB Jonathan Stewart and OT Jeff Otah are starting their careers on the right foot. 2007’s Jon Beason is a steady starter in the MLB position. DeAngelo Williams (2006) started out slow, but has become one of the premier runners now. Interestingly, all their first rounders from 2002-2008 are still starting and producing for the Panthers. 2001’s Dan Morgan would still be a starter if injuries hadn’t cut short his career.

Chicago - This year’s pick went to Denver, so we have to wait to see if Jay Cutler can really be the star this team envisioned it was getting. OT Chris Williams played a little in 2008, but has started all 6 games his sophomore season. Greg Olsen is quietly one of the better tight ends in the NFC and should make more noise with this new QB in town. We all know the story now of their 2005 “bust” Cedric Benson. DT Tommie Harris needs to keep himself healthy as he can be very useful when on the field. And, pretty sure the Bears would rather forget both of their 2003 first rounders.

Cincinnati - The Bengals are taking a gamble on Andre Smith, plenty of potential in that pick though. 2008’s Keith Rivers has survived his 7th game this season, so now we get to see what he can do with the rest of the season. Leon Hall has become a solid corner. Johnathan Joseph not so much, but this season he’s already pulled down three picks – so there’s hope for him yet. 2004 (Chris Perry) and 2005 (David Pollack) were busts, but 2003 (Carson Palmer) is re-establishing himself among the elite.

Cleveland - Um, should I mention that 2009 picks #4 and #17 are quarterbacks with major potential? At least they can say that Alex Mack is starting at center. It’s still hard to evaluate their 2007, T Joe Thomas is already a stellar lineman, but QB Brady Quinn is not living up to his potential. Kamerion Wimbley racked up 11 sacks his rookie season, but hasn’t built upon that production since. Then looking from 1999-2005, those first rounders are all either out of the league or on other teams now.

Fantasy Football week 5

This was a tough Fantasy Football week for me, a very close loss. Before MNF, my opponent and I were tied 89-89. I had Braylon Edwards to play – he had Ronnie Brown. I was pretty sure I was doomed. Yet, I was pretty hopeful until the last 2 minutes…

Yahoo! league — (3-2) tied for 3rd place.

QB	Brett Favre (Min – QB)				13
WR	Chad Ochocinco (Cin – WR)				4
WR	Joshua Cribbs (Cle – WR)				3
RB	Chris Johnson (Ten – RB)				2
RB	Steven Jackson (StL – RB)				4
TE	Dallas Clark (Ind – TE)				5
W/T	Braylon Edwards (NYJ – WR)				10
W/R	Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG – RB)				22
K	Matt Prater (Den – K)				10
DEF	Minnesota (Min – DEF)				26
Total					99

Aaron Rodgers had a bye this week, so I picked Favre up off the free agency (believing that he could play better against the Rams than Carson Palmer would against the Ravens, oops) Still, not a terrible outing. I knew my receiver corps would be hurting with Marques Colston sitting out. I was hoping for more from Cribbs since you-know-who left town, Chad did well enough, and Edwards ended up actually leading my WR’s. Chris Johnson was a real disappointment. Steven Jackson gets his yards, but he still has yet to get me a TD. I was very tempted to sit Ahmad Bradshaw this week because of the injury, but Tomlinson had a bye week and I wasn’t about to drop anybody – thankfully. Dallas Clark was solid, though not as spectacular as his last few weeks. Matt Prater did what a kicker is supposed to do. And, Minnesota again was stellar.

This week, I’m going back to Aaron Rodgers, taking on Detroit. Marques Colston enters the lineup against a tough Giant’s D. I’m going to leave in Braylon against the fairly weak Buffalo Bills and sit Josh Cribbs going against the Steelers. Although, I have a feeling that will come back to bite me. Most likely Cribbs will have to do a lot of returning and the Browns should be passing a lot as they will most likely be coming from behind. I’m going to leave LT on the bench for now, I don’t trust him against the Broncos. Although it’s tempting to sit Johnson or Bradshaw going against fairly tough defenses, its also really hard to pull those kind of game-breakers out. No worries about Prater, and Minnesota will hold their own against the Ravens. — Seriously, they have Jared Allen, game over.

Week 5…big games.

A lot of points put on the board this week…

1. Colts – Stay at the top spot, there’s no reason to lower them. Especially with Peyton playing one of his best seasons.

2. Saints – They got an early bye week, lets see if they are rested up for the long stretch.

3. Giants – Their 2nd team beat the Raiders.

4. Broncos – Got their first win against an actual tough opponent.

5. Vikings – Jared Allen for Defensive player of the year.

6. Eagles – Donovan McNabb doesn’t miss a beat.

7. Bengals – Wait, I have the Bengals in the top 10?

8. Falcons – Rising in the ranks after blasting the tough 49er D.

9. Jets – I still think this is a good team, Dolphins just played it tough against a rival. Braylon might actually make them better.

10. Ravens – Don’t take the loss to the Bengals that hard, they’re a real team this year.

11. Patriots – I can’t put this team too far down the list, they’re just waiting for someone to doubt them.

12. 49ers – They look a little more human now, and they can’t get too comfortable on top the division after the last Seahawk victory. 

13. Steelers – They got their win…but the Lions shouldn’t be that tough for the reigning champions.

14. Dolphins – I think Henne can play…this is the biggest leap up my rankings this week.

15. Packers – They aren’t adjusting to the 3-4 nearly as well as Denver, and seriously…protect Rodgers!

16. Bears – Not doing terrible this season, but I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up with the elite of the NFC.

17. Seahawks – Big surprise this week. Well, hello there TJ.

18. Cardinals – I want to rank them higher, but they just aren’t as impressive this year.

19. Chargers – Hopefully the bye week got Tomlinson rested up and ready to finish the season.

20. Texans – All these excellent young defensive players, and this is what they produce?

21. Cowboys – Alright well, try to finish off the season NOT in last place in the division?

22. Jaguars – Any shot they had to be respectable was shot down by the Seahawks.

23. Panthers – Hey, at least you beat the Redskins!

24. Lions – Still playing tough against teams, best 1 win team in the league.

25. Redskins – Hey did you see that bit about how they haven’t played a team with a win yet? How sweet would that be…oh wait, you’re still only 2-3.

26. Browns – How you got a win playing like that, I don’t know…

27. Bills – oh, this was the team the Browns beat, makes sense now.

28. Buccaneers – Seem to be playing a little bit better with the new quarterback.

29. Raiders – Worst 1-4 team in the league.

30. Chiefs – You get a pity raise in rankings, just because you made Dallas look bad. (but you still got burned by a #3 receiver) 

31. Titans – Can Vince play this week?

32. Rams – Just get the ball to Jackson so that he can help fantasy teams, don’t worry about the win.

My fantasy football season so far.

Ok, currently sitting at 3-1 in my Yahoo! league. Not a bad start. Here’s a recap of what’s gone down so far…

Draft

1.	(8)	LaDainian Tomlinson
2.	(13)	Chris Johnson
3.	(28)	Aaron Rodgers
4.	(33)	Marques Colston
5.	(48)	Chad Ochocinco
6.	(53)	Dallas Clark
7.	(68)	Minnesota
8.	(73)	Eddie Royal
9.	(88)	Beanie Wells
10.	(93)	Kris Brown
11.	(108)	Matt Ryan
12.	(113)	Jeremy Shockey
13.	(128)	Darrius Heyward-Bey
14.	(133)	Rashard Mendenhall

First off, I made it 2 minutes late to the draft, and it automatically took Tomlinson. Not that I was upset with it at first, I love the guy, but obviously not worth a first rounder. Very happy with my next 6 picks. And, lets just say I’ve made some changes since then with my last few picks…more later.

So, before the season started, I dropped Mendenhall to pick up Ahmad Bradshaw…in retrospect, maybe I should have dropped a different player. Also got rid of Heyward-Bey, I mostly drafted him as a joke because I was picking in front of a Raiders fan, so I picked up Andre Davis instead (he was riding my bench anyway).

After losing week 1, I knew I needed to make some changes. I traded Matt Ryan and Beanie Wells for Carson Palmer and Steven Jackson (I win). Dallas Clark and Chris Johnson proceeded to kick ass that week…I scored 171 pts.

For week 3, it was fairly obvious that Davis was getting nothing done and I needed receiver help, so I picked up Braylon Edwards…I still need receiver help. Luckily Rodgers was a stud while the rest of the team underperformed.

Last week, I decided I needed to switch up the kicking game, and got Matt Prater. He did adequately, and I get to support my Broncos. And Rodgers was still a stud for me, even against my Vikings defense!

This week, I have a lot of bye weeks messing with my line-up. While Palmer has actually done pretty well, I just wasn’t confident starting him against the Ravens…instead I got Favre playing against the Rams. Oh, the irony…who shall I start next week? Marques Colston is on a bye, so I dropped the underperforming Eddie Royal for Josh Cribbs. It’s a gamble, but at least Cribbs is guaranteed returns while Royal isn’t even guaranteed a catch.

Week 4…now we’re getting somewhere.

Alright, commenting on anything from the previous few weeks of football would be slightly ridiculous and all speculation. Possible commentary after week one would be – Cutler isn’t going to save the Bears, Pittsburg is set for another dominant season, and Buffalo is going to be competitive.

Here’s how the teams stack up in my eyes…

1. Colts – Everyone panicked with Harrison gone, Dungy out, and the rest of the staff getting shifted around. But, then number 18 reminds us all that this is his offense and the defense just has to do their part. Done.

2. Saints – Drew Brees is the most awesome person in the NFL.

3. Giants – With little Manning hurt, I couldn’t put them at number 2, because I fear having Carr start. But then again, New York has a ridiculously good O-line. Their defensive line is equally scary…especially now that Osi is back.

4. Viking – Well done Mr. Favre. You have one hell of a supporting cast. I’m still set that Jared Allen won that game last night though.

5. Broncos – As a fan, I was scared in the pre-season. Yet, Orton is playing mistake free, Moreno is the top rookie runningback, and how ’bout that Defense??  …I still miss Shanahan.

6. Jets – I didn’t think the Jets would be doing this well. Other than last week, Sanchez is pretty decent. Revis is a stud.

7. 49ers – I really like the 49ers chances this year. NFC West…probably the worst division in the league.

8. Patriots – Brady may be a little tentative with the knee, but this team can still play.

9. Ravens – Flacco is really improving upon a stellar rookie season. Just try to catch up Steelers.

10. Eagles – Well, lets all forget about the Vick experience for now. This is a solid unit – even Kolb is firing on all cylinders.

11. Bengals – This team was supposed to be collapsing after the week 1 loss. But, Chad is back, Benson is actually good, and this is a solid defense.

12. Packers – Don’t blame Rodgers if this team fails. I can only imagine what he could accomplish if the line would block for him and Grant.

13. Falcons – Matt Ryan plays entirely too well for how young he is. It’s pretty unfair Gonzalez still plays this well.

14. Steelers – What happened? This team needs Polamalu back…a lot.

15. Bears – Who is Cutler throwing to?

16. Chargers – RIP LT.

17. Cowboys – All the pieces are in place, right?

18. Jaguars – Their competitive, but so forgettable.

19. Texans – If they can just hold it together (aka…keep getting the ball to Johnson) wildcard anybody?

20. Cardinals – Fitzgerald may not be hurt…but definitely not playing up to par…cursed?

21. Bills – T.O. will turn it on eventually right? At least the running game has potential to be stellar.

22. Dolphins – Lets see what you can do Henne.

23. Seahawks – No longer the dominant team in the west. Maybe you should keep your QB in one piece.

24. Lions – It’s just the beginning of the turn around. Don’t expect too much, but they won’t go easy on you.

25. Redskins – So are we taking bets? Shanahan, Cower, or Gruden?

26. Panthers – They do this every other year, why is everyone surprised? Watch, next year they will be awesome.

27. Titans – No really, What happened?    *put in Vince*

28. Browns – This team needs an overhaul. Why does Derek Anderson only play well when we don’t expect him to?

29. Raiders – What can I say that hasn’t already drug this team through the mud? Give it up Al.

30. Buccaneers – I think they have potential with the QB change, but definitly in a rebuilding year.

31. Chiefs – Absolutely nothing spectacular about this team with Tony gone.

32. Rams – How much does it suck to live in Missouri right now?

My Kicker Rankings

The kickers are ranked in Yahoo! like this:

1.Stephen Gostkowski
2.Rob Bironas
3.Kris Brown
4.David Akers
5.Ryan Longwell
6.Mason Crosby
7.John Casey
8.Jason Elam
9.Nick Folk
10.Nate Kaeding

When I think of which kickers I’m going to draft, I think of 2 things.
#1 are they on a successful team? #2 How are the kicking conditions?

10. Kris Brown – He’s doing pretty well for the Texans, but I still remember him doing quite poorly for the Steelers.

9. Jeff Reed – This guy does quite well for the Steelers. And he does it in poor weather. As long as they keep winning, he’ll be a solid pick up.

8. Neil Rackers – Successful offense? check. Conditions? perfect, even traveling isn’t too bad.

7. Ryan Longwell – Was great when he played in the tundra, now he’s protected in a dome and keeps up the good work.

6. Nick Folk – He gets ranked this high just for potential XP’s. The Cowboys are expected to put up some numbers, those scores need their icing.

5. David Akers – Top scorer in the NFC last season. Plays for successful Eagles. But, he plays in Philadelphia and the rest of the bad weather places near season’s end.

4. Rob Bironas – Makes more money than other kickers. Very dependable to make it between the posts. It helps when your team wins a bunch.

3. Adam Vinatieri – Why is he not on the top 10? He’s the ultimate clutch kicker, plays with a powerhouse offense, and he plays under a shiny dome in Indy. Must be a bunch of Oakland fans working for Yahoo…

2. Stephen Gostkowski – I don’t even know if he’s that good. He just plays for the Patriots, that’s like good-by-association. And, New England didn’t miss a beat when moving to him after Mr. Icy Veins left.

1. Nate Kaeding – The 2nd most accurate kicker in NFL history. Not in the League – in History. That, plus he plays with a potent offense in sunny SoCal makes him my favorite kicker. Oh, being a Hawkeye might give you a biased ranking from me.

**Guys I’m staying away from**

Jason Elam – I still love all the work he did for Denver. With age becoming a major factor, there’s only so long that the Atlanta Dome can protect him.

Rian Lindell – His production fell off in Buffalo, and he’s got to contend with some of the worst playing conditions…I don’t expect a rebound here.

Sebastian Janikowski – While a solid kicker, not worth a 1st round draft pick, not worth an early fantasy draft pickup – nor will he ever be.

My Rankings for TE’s

The Yahoo! tight end rankings are:

1.Jason Witten
2.Antonio Gates
3.Tony Gonzalez
4.Dallas Clark
5.Owen Daniels
6.Greg Olsen
7.Chris Cooley
8.Kellen Winslow
9.Zach Miller
10.John Carlson

Maybe I just have a thing for Tight Ends with attitude:

10. Vernon Davis – The attitude thing starts right here. I want to see Vernon just all out destroy some teams. I want to see him actually become a crazy-good tight end. His coach would just like some solid play out of him.

9. Owen Daniels – He pretty much came out of nowhere to make the probowl. He should still keep up those stats with plenty of open field to defenses worried about Johnson and Walter.

8. Tony Gonzalez – I don’t expect much from him really. He’s old – while not much of an argument with this guy. He’s an old guy on a young team. He doesn’t have to be the main target, nor will he be. Ryan is used to looking to his wideouts.

7. Jeremy Shockey – Let me just say this before you doubt. He was playing injured and still grabbed 50 passes – not terrible. Brees won’t let him play half-hearted. Besides, there’s no way he’s going without a touchdown this season.

6. Greg Olsen – When you can put up decent stats with Orton/Grossman and be on the Chicago Bears you must be pretty good. Now he’s got Cutler and in turn, Cutler really only has him. Can they just put Olsen in the wide out? They can let Desmond Clark do all the TE duties.

5. Kellen Winslow – I’m banking on last season being an exception rather than the rule. Hopefully he just needed a change of scenery to get his career off the ground. But is he any better off at the QB position?

4. Dallas Clark – Dallas is the quiet one among the elite tight ends. He beat out a lot of starting receivers in yards, catches, and touchdowns. Now that Gonzalez is out of the AFC, their probowl squad will need a new starter. 

3. Jason Witten – The Cowboys should have one of the top offenses. They should have one of the top Quarterbacks. That offense needs its stats somewhere, and that quarterback loves to give them to Witten. But, his ranking gets held down because this is one of the few teams with 2 capable TE’s.

2. Antonio Gates – Gates is a monster. And, even though Chambers was brought in to be a go-to receiver…Gates is still the favorite target. When you’re River’s main guy…you get stats.

1. Chris Cooley – Last season was a fluke. Cooley should always be a top tight end. Campbell is on the hot seat, so he’d better learn to find Chris in the endzone.

*Guys I’m staying away from**

Zach Miller – He plays for Oakland. You have no idea how well he’ll actually perform. IF Oakland seems to be stable and he’s getting solid stats, then he’s worthy of a free agent pick up.

John Carlson – Not bad for a rookie. But, I don’t expect him to really do as well as last season. He had to get the stats he did – he was the only stable receiver the Seahawks had. IF TJ and Burleson stay healthy, Carlson loses out on receptions.

Todd Heap/Alge Crumpler – What happened to you guys? They both used to be so dependable for some solid stats. And now, nothing.

My Rankings of WR’s

Here’s the Yahoo! wide receiver rankings:

1.Larry Fitzgerald
2.Andre Johnson
3.Randy Moss
4.Steve Smith
5.Calvin Johnson
6.Reggie Wayne
7.Greg Jennings
8.Roddy White
9.Anquan Boldin
10.Dwayne Bowe

Take out a couple of those guys and I have:

10. Roy Williams – I put him this high, because he has to play up to this ranking. Not only are the Cowboys counting on him producing, he’ll have to deal with every game when they will show his stats compared to Calvin and TO – just to speculate on what ifs.

9. Terrell Owens – C’mon… TO + season 1 on a new team = torn up secondaries. You know his first dip into the AFC is going to be crazy when he has competition from Moss to be the best receiver in the East.

8. Anquan Boldin – Contract, money, trades, blah blah…Anquan still understands the basic rule -  you get paid to catch balls. Do that. Not even an injury can slow him down – he just comes back more determined.

7. Roddy White – Anybody else get really lucky when you “had” to pick this guy up in the later rounds of last year’s draft? He’s really good, just don’t fail…people know who you are now.

6. Reggie Wayne – I don’t think there will really be any pressure to perform with Marvin gone. Reggie can just continue to do what he’s always done.

5. Calvin Johnson – Hey no pressure, just carry an offense on your back, ok? If he can put up those stats on a losing team, imagine what he could do for a team that gets a couple wins?

4. Greg Jennings – He was leading the league in a lot of categories at the beginning of the season. His production kind of went down as the rest of the pack fell. Rodgers will be better, Driver is getting older, Jennings will get more stats.

3. Andre Johnson – When you lead the league in receiving yards, you deserve to be ranked this high. He also proved that he could be one player on his team to stay in for 16 games.

2. Larry Fitzgerald – He’s not the top receiver for me – for one stupid reason – he’s on the Madden cover. It takes out knees, breaks ankles, and steals star players. Say what you will about Favre making it through the season…he still has the worst arm injury of his career, and (possibly) is done playing (finally). This season, EA has something against dreadlocks, going after Fitz and T.Polo.

1. Randy Moss – I give him this as a last hurrah before father-time takes over. Randy already isn’t quite what he once was, but that’s ok with the system – I mean, the quarterback he has. Some of his catches go to Welker, but Moss gets you those important TD stats.

**Guys I’m Staying Away From**

Steve Smith – I don’t care if he leads the league in every stat category, he’ll never be on a fantasy team of mine. Nobody that deliberately injures his teammates because of a “temper” will ever have my respect. Besides, teams are figuring out how to keep him out of the endzone.

Brandon Marshall - He was my pre-season top receiver and I was able to pick him up in one of the earlier rounds last year. Not only do I not trust his mentality, I don’t even know what quarterback will be throwing to him. There’s talk he won’t be in Denver by first kickoff. (If he lands in Chicago - disregard and place him at #11)

TJ Houshmandzadeh – Seattle is where receivers go to die (or get injured). I’m not totally sold on Hasselbeck’s health, Mora’s coaching, or the Seahawk’s chance to be successful this year. I still think TJ benefited from the Chad-effect. Teams still feared 85…or at least made absolutely sure he wouldn’t have a chance to beat them.