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Fantasy Tight Ends Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 14 August 2006 at 8:38 am
Bye Weeks () 

 1. Antonio Gates, Chargers (3)  The undisputed king of tight ends.  A young QB’s best friend is the tight end.

 2. Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (3)  Gonzalez is the Chiefs #1 receiver.  Almost impossible to stop.

 3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (8)  Was a force last season, and with Al Saunders calling the plays…he could explode.

 4. Jeremy Shockey, Giants (4)  I love watching this guy play.  He’s old-school, and he’s good.

 5. Todd Heap, Ravens (7)  Watch out….he has a real QB for the first time in his career.

 6. Randy McMichael, Dolphins (8)  With Culpepper on board he could make the Pro Bowl.

 7. Alge Crumpler, Falcons (5)  Michael Vick’s favorite receiver.  That shouldn’t mean too much, but if Schaub plays…look out!

 8. Jason Witten, Cowboys (3)  The Tuna loves throwing to the tight end, and Witten is a good one.

 9. L.J. Smith, Eagles (9)  Donovan McNabb has to throw to someone.

10. Kellen Winslow, Browns (6)  A man on a mission.  Safeties beware.

11. Vernon Davis, 49ers (7)  He’ll be the guy Alex Smith is looking for….and soon.

12. Jermaine Wiggins, Vikings (6)  Wiggins doesn’t look the part, but he’s been very good for the Vikings.

13. Heath Miller, Steelers (4)  A carbon copy of Todd Heap.  If Big Ben looks his way….Miller will catch it.

14. Zach Hilton, Saints (7)  Brees likes throwing to his tight end, and Hilton had a good second half last year.

15. Mercedes Lewis, Jaguars (6)  The Jags first round pick has alot of ability, and Leftwich needs someone to throw to.

16. Ben Watson, Patriots (6)  Brady’s receiving corps is looking thin, so he will look to the TE more this season.

17. Dallas Clark, Colts (6)  Clark is a good athlete that catches his share of passes.

18. Marcus Pollard, Lions (8)  Pollard is getting old, but he can still catch the football.

19. Erron Kinney, Titans (7)  Tight-ends catch alot of passes in the Titans offense, but they’re usually short ones.

20. Eric Johnson, 49ers (7)  If healthy, and that’s a big if, Johnson is a good TE.

21. Jeb Putzier, Texans (5)  Putzier should catch alot of short passes from Carr.  It should help Carr from taking a beating again this year.

22. Doug Jolley, Jets (9)  Jolley is a good receiver, but he’s under utilized by the Jets.

23. Jeramy Stevens, Seahawks (5)  If Stevens just caught the passes that hit him in the hands, he would rank much higher.

24. Bubba Franks, Packers (6)  Franks is slowing down, but Favre will be looking for him in the Red Zone.

25. Ben Troupe, Titans (7)  Catches alot of passes, but doesn’t get alot of yards.

26. Daniel Graham, Patriots (6)  Graham is a good receiver and should increase his receptions this season.

27. Steve Heiden, Browns (6)  Tough as nails throwback.  If you draft Winslow…..you better draft Heiden too.

28. Anthony Fasano, Cowboys (3)  Rookie from Notre Dame is a good receiver.

29. Alex Smith, Buccaneers (4)  Smith is just scratching the surface of his potential.

30. Bryan Fletcher, Colts (6)  Fletcher was a find for the Colts as a rookie.  His role could expand.

31. Dominique Byrd, Rams (7)  Rams TE job is open and Byrd is a good receiver.

32. Leonard Pope, Cardinals (9)  Rookie TE has the upper hand in Arizona.  He’s a big target.

33. Stephen Alexander, Broncos (4)  Good hands, but lacks speed.

34. Adam Bergen, Cardinals (9)  Bergen looked decent as a rookie, but he’s a possession type receiver.

35. Jim Kleinsasser, Vikings (6)  Better blocker than receiver.

36. Joe Klopfenstein, Rams (7)  Will battle Byrd for starting spot.  Has good hands.

37. Anthony Becht, Buccaneers (4)  Over-rated every season.

38. Courtney Anderson, Raiders (3)  Tight-end is an afterthought in Raiders offense.

39. Desmond Clark, Bears (7)  Bears starter, but doesn’t get many balls thrown his way.

40. Jason Dunn, Chiefs (3)  Gets an occasional bone thrown his way.  Usually near the end-zone.

41. Christian Fauria, Redskins (8)  Redskins will use the tight-end alot.  You could do worse.

42. Kris Mangum, Panthers (9)  Tight-ends block in Panthers offense.

43. Robert Royal, Bills (8)  Starting TE for the Bills, but not much of a receiver.

44. Ernie Conwell, Saints (7)  Dependable, but not flashy receiver.

45. Matt Schobel, Eagles (9)  Decent back-up, value spikes if Smith is injured.

46. Aaron Shea, Chargers (3)  Decent possession receiver.

47. Reggie Kelly, Bengals (5)  Not used much in the passing game.

48. Kevin Everett, Bills (8)  Good pass catching TE, but he missed his rookie season in Buffalo due to injury.

49. David Martin, Packers (6) Good speed, but under-utilized in the offense.

50. Chris Baker, Jets (9)  Not much of a pass catcher.

51. Daniel Wilcox, Ravens (7)  Now you’re reaching.

52. Itula Mili, Seahawks (5)  Would rank higher but he missed all but two games last season.

53. Tony Scheffler, Broncos (4)  Good receiver if he gets a chance to play.

54. Dwayne Blakely, Falcons (5)  I know Vick likes the TE……but…..

55. Visanthe Shiancoe, Giants (4)  You don’t even want him if Shockey gets hurt.

56. Jerame Tuman, Steelers (4)  Rarely gets to go out for a pass.

57. Dan Campbell, Lions (8)  Good hands, no speed.

58. Mike Seidman, Panthers (9)  Never used in the passing game.

59. Mark Bruener, Texans (5)  Good for one catch a game.

60. Kyle Brady, Jaguars (6)  Also good for one catch a game.

61. Randal Williams, Raiders (3)  You don’t want him.

62. Tony Stewart, Bengals (5)  Until Marvin Lewis realizes that tight ends are eligible receivers…you don’t want him.

63. Justin Peele, Dolphins (8)  Good blocker.

64. John Gilmore, Bears (7)  Just say no.

 

Falcons defeat Patriots 26-23

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Sunday 13 August 2006 at 9:37 am

A few things stood out in the Falcons victory over the Patriots Friday night.  It looks as if the new kicker will be Michael Koenen instead of Tony Yelk.  Koenen attempted four field goals, all of them over 40 yards and made them all including the game-winner in the 4th quarter. 

The running game looks like it will pick up where it left off last season.  T.J. Duckett had a good game rushing for 59 yards on 10 carries.  Rookie Jerious Norwood looked real good in his first NFL action, rushing for 22 yards on 7 carries and catching 2 passes for 71 yards and a TD.

The defense needs work as the Patriots rolled up over 400 yards on them.

It’s that time!!!

Blogged under Uncategorized by KobiAdi on Friday 11 August 2006 at 12:28 pm

Finally, football is upon us.  Albeit the preseaon, it still qualifies as football.  The Falcons take on the New England Patriots tonight at 8:00 ET.  The game will be televised on CBS.

Naturally, the starters won’t get much playing time, but for the most part the efforts of Dunn, Duckett, and the offensive line are consistent.  As far as Michael Vick, who knows, it’s liable to change from week to week.  I am curious, however, to see how a couple of the rookies perform.  Namely, Jerious Norwood and DJ Shockley. 

Norwood was an explosive back at Mississippi State even though he was surrounded by a subpar team, and everything I have read so far says his running style is a perfect fit for Atlanta’s blocking scheme.  So, the future of the running game could be in his hands.

Shockley turned in a stellar campaign his senior season, much to the surprise and joy of Georgia Bulldog fans everywhere.  His poise in the pocket and huddle is what stood out.  If he can transfer that to the professional level, he should make a serviceable backup quaterback.

On the defensive side of the ball, Falcons supporters all over are expecting big things.  With the return of Ed Hartwell in the middle linebacker position, and the acquisitions of John Abraham at defensive end and Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker at safety the Atlanta defense suddenly looks quite formiddable.  Add those four players to the always steady Patrick Kerney and Keith Brooking, along with playmaking DeAngelo Hall, and there is a recipe for a very solid defense.

Overall, Atlanta Falcons fans are expecting another playoff run this year, and it all starts tonight.

Falcons receivers catch bad rap

Blogged under Uncategorized by KobiAdi on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 3:55 pm

Alot has come out lately about how the Falcons receiving corps is a group of underachievers.  I don’t buy that. 

First of all, in the current situation, the chance of an Atlanta receiver turning in a 90 catch season is slim to none for two reasons: 1) Atlanta is a run first team, and basically passes out of necessity.  Therefore the oppurtunity to catch alot of balls is simply not there.  2) Michael Vick is not the most accurate passer.  In his defense the system he is playing in fits his style of play like a square peg fits in a round hole, but that’s a whole different topic.  So taking these two paramaters into account, the idea of a successful season may need to be reevaluated.

Second of all of the top three receivers(Finneran excluded) the only one with a significant amount of experience is Jerome Pathon who has been in the league for nine years.  In his best year as a pro(1998, 2000) he only snagged 50 balls, and those were coming from what will turn out to be one of the greastest quaterbacks to ever play the game – Peyton Manning.  So the Falcons weren’t expecting alot from him when they picked him up. 

The jury is still out on Michael Jenkins as his second year was by no means stellar.  I also wouldn’t consider it abysmal as he did catch 36 passes for 508 yards.  That may only be 14-20 receptions away from a successful season for a Falcon receiver.  We’ll see.

Roddy White has not played enough to qualify for the “underachiever” label.  In his first season he played in 16 games and had 29 receptions for 446 yards.  Outstanding?? Absolutley not, but in comparison: Terrell Owens played in 16 games his rookie season and caught 35 passes for 520 yards – Rod Smith in his first two seasons combined had 22 catches for 389 yards – Steve Smith had 10 receptions for 154 yards his initial campaign – and Hines Ward pulled down 15 passes and amassed 246 yards in the first year of his career.  I feel safe in saying that all those gentlemen have turned out to be better than average receivers.

So, let’s not jump to conclusions!

 

 

Fantasy Kicker Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 10:25 am
Bye Weeks ()

 1. Adam Vinatieri, Colts  (6)  Vinatieri is Mr.Clutch, and for that he becomes the kicker for the best offense in the NFL.

 2. Jeff Wilkins, Rams (7)  Wilkins is a dominant kicker every so often, and he will be one this season.

 3. Shayne Graham, Bengals (5)  Has increased his points scored 4 straight seasons, and scored 131 pts. last season.

 4. Mike Vanderjagt, Cowboys (3)  Is the most accurate kicker in NFL history.  Should be a weapon for Cowboys.

 5. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (9)  Set NFL record last season making 40 FGs.  Cards offense will score more TDs this season.

 6. Jason Elam, Broncos (4)  Mr. Reliable.  He always puts up points, and gets a few long ones at Mile High.

 7. David Akers, Eagles (9)  Offense will need him more without a big-time receiver.  He’s healthy and ready to rebound.

 8. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (3)  Has a strong leg and might need it with Rivers replacing Brees.

 9. Matt Bryant, Buccaneers (4) He’s a sleeper here, as the Bucs offense should improve this year.  He makes some long ones.

10. Jay Feely, Giants (4)  Led the NFL in kicker points (148) last season, and it wasn’t a fluke.

11. Josh Brown, Seahawks (5)  Brown is a solid kicker, with a solid offense.

12. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (6)  Kicking inside should help him, and he hit alot of long field goals anyway.

13. Steve Gostkowski, Patriots (6)  He’s a rookie, but he’s also on a good offensive team.  Can he handle the pressure?

14. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders (3)  He has superb league strength and the Raiders should be a little better on offense.

15. Lester Tynes, Chiefs (3)  Had a good season last year, but have to wait and see what Edwards’ offense looks like.

16. Olindo Mare, Dolphins (8)  Marlins won’t make the playoffs, so he should be ok.

17. Matt Stover, Ravens (7)  Getting a little long in tooth, but still accurate.

18. Rian Lindell, Bills (8)  One of the best offensive weapons on the Bills, what does that tell you?

19. Jeff Reed, Steelers (4)  Not very accurate, and questions all over the offense.

20. Jason Hanson, Lions (8)  He could be a sleeper with Mike Martz running the offense in Detroit.

21. Mike Nugent, Jets (9)  The Jets offense could be bad, real bad.

22. John Hall, Redskins (8)  Could shoot up the list if he could stay healthy….hasn’t been for two years in a row.

23. John Kasay, Panthers (9)  Getting a little old and has had some injuries recently.

24. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (6)  Can hit the long one, but isn’t an accurate kicker overall.

25. Rob Bironas, Titans (7)  Is a good kicker that will improve as much as the Titans offense improves.

26. John Carney, Saints (7)  Still accurate at 42 years old, but can’t hit the deep ones anymore.

27. Phil Dawson, Browns (6)  A good kicker that would move up this list if the offense improves.

28. Kris Brown, Texans (5)  Brown is not very accurate, and the Texans have not been very good on offense.

29. Joe Nedney, 49ers (7)  Only missed two kicks all of last season…..needs more opportunities.

30. Robbie Gould, Bears (7)  Not very accurate and currently in a battle for his job.

31. Billy Cundiff, Packers (6)  Has been bouncing around for a while.  Not much upside here.

32. Tony Yelk, Falcons (5)  Rookie trying to win a job on an offense that doesn’t light up the scoreboard.

Falcons talking to Broncos about Lelie

Blogged under Front Page by ravenhater on Monday 7 August 2006 at 11:45 pm

The Falcons need to get Lelie.  They need a proven receiver to be their go to guy.  Without one, teams will load the box to stop the run and the Falcons offense will sputter.  Lelie also is good at running deep, and Vick certainly has the arm strength to throw deep.  Lelie would be a good match for the Falcons.

QB Rankings Bye Weeks ()

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 7 August 2006 at 6:27 pm

 1. Peyton Manning, Colts.  (6)   This is a no-brainer.  The greatest fantasy QB of his time.

 2. Tom Brady, Patriots (6)   The greatest QB of his time.  Spreads the ball around, and always puts up numbers.

 3.  Trent Green, Chiefs (3)  Green has put up three straight 4,000 yards passing season together.  Under-rated.

 4. Carson Palmer, Bengals (5)  Knee is a huge question mark.  Has alot of weapons in the passing game.

 5. Eli Manning, Giants (4)  Manning started to emerge from brothers’ shadow.  Has a good supporting cast.

 6. Marc Bulger, Rams (7)  Only needs to stay healthy to lead the greatest show on turf.

 7. Duante Culpepper, Dolphins (8)  Huge risk/reward pick.  Has a huge arm, but can Chambers imitate Moss?

 8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (9)  Probably would have ranked higher if he had at least one good receiver.

 9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (5)  Injury to Darrell Jackson hurts.  Plus Shaun Alexander will get his carries.

10. Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys (3)  If T.O. behaves, this is too low for Bledsoe.  T.O. always makes his QB better.

11. Brett Favre, Packers (6)  Running backs look healthy, which will put less pressure on him to win game himself.

12. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (9)  Warner would be higher on this list if he weren’t so brittle.  Risk/Reward pick.

13. Drew Brees, Saints (7)  Always scared of injured throwing shoulders, but he has a good supporting cast.

14. Aaron Brooks, Raiders (3)  Hard to hold last season against any Saint.  Will thrive throwing ball to Randy Moss.

15. Jake Delhomme, Panthers (9)  Better in real football than fantasy football.

16. Jake Plummer, Broncos (4)  Will he feel the heat with Jay Cutler around?  If not he’ll be ok.

17. David Carr, Texans (5)  Has shown improvement the last two seasons, and now he has Eric Moulds.

18. Billy Volek, Titans (7)  Volek has been a superb back-up, and now he gets the keys to the car for a season.

19. Steve McNair, Ravens (7)  McNair is only this far down the list because he’s brittle.  Reunited with Mason will help.

20. Philip Rivers, Chargers (3)  Risk/Reward pick.  Not much experience, but a very good supporting cast.

21. Mark Brunell, Redskins (8)  Nice supporting group, but injury prone and old.

22. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (4)  Lots of questions.  Will he be ok or gun shy?  Steelers run alot and that hurts him.

23. Jon Kitna, Lions (8)  If he wins the job, he could put up huge numbers with Mike Martz calling the plays.

24. Chris Simms, Buccaneers (4)  For first time since high-school, he’s the best QB on his team.

25. Brad Johnson, Vikings (6)  38 year old QB that likes the short pass.  Will he last a whole season?

26. Michael Vick, Falcons (5)  Vick is the most electrifying QB in the league.  But his 150 yards passing won’t help you.

27. Byron Leftwich, Jaguars (6)  He has never played a complete season, and his receiving corps is downright awful.

28. Chad Pennington, Jets (9)  Pennington is a good QB when he plays….which isn’t very often.

29. Charlie Frye, Browns (6)  Looked ok in his brief trial at the end of the season.  Having Edwards and Winslow will help.

30. Kelly Holcomb, Bills (8)  He should win the job, but if you draft a Bills QB…you need your head examined.

31. Rex Grossman, Bears (7)  Look up the word “brittle” in the dictionary and you’ll see Rex Grossman’s face.

32. Alex Smith, 49ers (7)  He’s got a long way to go to be an average QB.

33. Brian Griese, Bears (7)  Sure to start some games, the only question is when.

34. Matt Leinhart, Cardinals (9)  Leinhart probably will get the keys to the explosive offense at some point.

35. Gus Frerotte, Rams (7)  Follows head-coach Scott Linehan around like a puppy.  Could see some time.

36. Josh McCown, Lions (8)  Back-up to Kitna to start the season.  Lions QB of near future.

37. Matt Schaub, Falcons (5)  Better throwing QB than starter Michael Vick.

38. David Garrard, Jaguars (6)  Plays well every season after Leftwich gets hurt.

39. Jeff Garcia, Eagles (9)  Still has a little left in the tank if McNabb goes down.

40. Patrick Ramsey, Jets (9)  QB in waiting behind Pennington.  Only a matter of time until he plays.

41. Trent Dilfer, 49ers (7)  Coach Nolan won’t let his team’s season go to waste if Smith is over-matched again.

42. Jim Sorgi, Colts (6)  Played well in limited action.  Has a super supporting cast if forced into action.

43. JP Losman, Bills (8)  Good athlete for a QB, but not a good passer.

44. Kyle Boller, Ravens (7)  Behind McNair, so he could get a chance.  Played well last December.

45. Joey Harrington, Dolphins (8)  Could get playing time in Miami, but that was never an issue in Detroit.

46. Anthony Wright, Bengals (5)  Wright is a good athlete and the Bengals have good receivers…but, Wright is not a good passer.

47. Vince Young, Titans (7)  If the Titans throw him to the wolves, he will get chewed up and spit out.

48. Jay Cutler, Broncos (4)  Cutler’s year will be next season.

49. Sage Rosenfels, Texans (5)  Not very productive in limited chances.

50. Charlie Batch, Steelers (4)  Running team, but if Big Ben’s head hurts he might get forced into action.

51.  Chris Weinke, Panthers (9)  Had his chance, and then the Panthers signed Delhomme.

52. Todd Collins, Redskins (8)  Playing behind Brunell with a loaded supporting cast.

53. Damon Huard, Chiefs (3)  Chiefs would probably run alot if he were forced into action.

54. Jamie Martin, Saints (7)  Good completion % usually.  A decent back-up.

55. Jay Fiedler, Buccaneers (4)  Still hasn’t thrown a pass in camp.  Game manager that wouldn’t put up big numbers.

56. Matt Cassel, Patriots (6)  Hasn’t started a real game since high school.

57. A.J. Feeley, Chargers (3)  If you have a penalty for pick-offs, don’t say this name.

58. Andrew Walter, Raiders (3)  Hasn’t played a down, but has good receivers.

59. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (6)  The fact that the Packers drafted a QB speaks volumes.

60. Tim Hasselbeck, Giants (4)  Giants have a good supporting cast, but Hasselbeck hasn’t proved he could take advantage of that.

61. Ken Dorsey, Browns (6)  Trying to hold off Derek Anderson for back-up job.

62. Seneca Wallace, Seahawks (5)  Not a good passer.

63.  Tony Romo, Cowboys (3)  No experience…..scary.

64. Mike McMahon, Vikings (6)  Good runner, but the worst throwing QB in the league.

Alge Crumpler is a key to the offense

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Sunday 6 August 2006 at 8:48 am

What does is say about the Falcons receiving corps that the top receiving threat on the team is a 6’2″, 262 pound tight-end?  You’re right the receivers are awful!  Crumpler is a good player that caught 65 passes last season and is a load to bring down when he catches a pass.  But when Crumpler is you’re #1 guy, the defense is ganging up on the running game and making it tougher on Vick, Dunn and Duckett to run because of the defense having so many defenders in the box. 

Crumpler has played in 78 games (67 starts) and has caught 218 passes for 2,988 yards (13.7 avg) and 22 TDs.

Falcons receiving corps…..underachiever central

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 8:48 pm

Roddy White was a first round pick in last year’s draft, but he didn’t play like one.  White played in 16 games (8 starts) and caught 29 passes for 446 yards (15.4 avg) and 3 TDs.  He also rushed four times for twelve yards.

Michael Jenkins was the Falcons first round pick the year before White was.  Jenkins has not fared much better than White.  Jenkins has played in 30 games (12 starts) and has caught 43 passes for 627 yards (14.6 avg) and three TDs.

Jerome Pathon is the #3 receiver for the Falcons and he caught one pass for 18 yards last season for the Falcons.  Pathon has played 99 games (62 starts) and caught 260 passes for 3,350 yards (12.9 avg) and 15 TDs.

Adam Jennings is too small (5′10″, 175) to ever be anything more than a #3 receiver, but I wouldn’t bet against him.  He has 4.3 40 speed and is not afraid to go over the middle.  I could definately see him returning some punts for the Falcons this season.

D.J Shockley (7, QB)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 6:20 pm

D.J. Shockley might have the look of a pick just to make the locals happy.  Some scouts think he would be better served to change positions and utilize his athletic ability to the fullest.  But Coach Mora thinks he’s a quarterback.  Shockley has a good chance to make the Falcons are their #3 QB.  Shockley has a good arm, but he needs to make his reads quicker than he did in college or he’ll throw alot of pickoffs.

At Georgia, Shockley played in 38 games (12 starts) and completed 54.2% of his passes for 3,555 yards with 34 TDs and only 9 interceptions.

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