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Offseason Moves in the
NFC
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4for4.com Exclusive
By Dale Lolley
Courtesy of the Observer-Reporter
05/16/06
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Now that free agency has calmed down and the draft is behind us in the NFL, fantasy owners are trying to figure out what to make of all of the offseason moves in the league.
Here’s a look at each NFC team and how its offseason roster moves should affect fantasy production in 2006.
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals made one of the biggest splashes in free agency by signing running back Edgerrin James away from Indianapolis. James provides the Cardinals with a running game the team hasn’t had in more than a decade, even if Arizona’s offensive line is below average. With wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald keeping defenses honest, James should put up solid numbers in the desert. They may not match what he did in the Colts’ explosive offense, but coach Dennis Green does like to run the ball when he has a stud running back. He has one now.
James’ presence should also take some pressure off of quarterback Kurt Warner, though the team brought some of that pressure back by selecting quarterback of the future Matt Leinart in the draft. Leinart won’t beat Warner out for the starting job, but given Warner’s injury history, he’s not a bad sleeper to take given the weapons the Cardinals boast. Third-round pick Leonard Pope, a 6-7 tight end, could also break the starting lineup. Given his size and ability, he could be a nice pickup on draft day.
Atlanta: The Falcons didn’t make any big splashes for fantasy players in free agency, but they did make some noise on draft day by selecting running back Jerrious Norwood from Mississippi State in the third round. The team shopped running back T.J. Duckett after making the pick of the speedy Norwood, but was unable to consummate a deal. Duckett has been the short-yardage back, spelling Warrick Dunn the past few seasons, but the team apparently feels Norwood can fill that role before eventually taking over for Dunn. Keep an eye on this situation, especially if Duckett feels slighted by the team’s attempts to move him.
Carolina: The Panthers stuggled all last year to find a receiver to complement the explosive Steve Smith. They may have found that player in Keyshawn Johnson, who was signed after his release by Dallas. Johnson is a great red zone target and should thrive opposite Smith, one of the best in the business. His presence could hurt Smith’s touchdown total, though.
With Stephen Davis gone, the Panthers needed a backup running back for injury-prone starter DeShaun Foster. They got one in the first round in former Memphis star DeAngelo Williams. Williams should be a solid late-round sleeper this season because Foster can’t stay healthy for 16 games. Also don’t forget about last year’s second-round pick Eric Shelton. Shelton could factor in as a short-yardage back.
Chicago: The Chicago Bears had everything but a quarterback last season after yet another injury sidetracked Rex Grossman. Not wanting to go through a similar situation again this year, the team signed former Denver and Tampa Bay starter Brian Griese. Griese lost his job in Tampa last year after suffering a severe knee injury, but don’t be surprised if he eventually replaces Grossman, who is shaky, at best as the starter.
The team added return specialist Devin Hester in the draft, making Chicago’s oustanding defense/special teams unit even stronger. It’s now possibly the best in terms of fantasy production.
Dallas: The Cowboys made one of the biggest splashes in free agency, signing disgruntled wideout Terrell Owens away from Philadelphia. Owens replaces Keyshawn Johnson opposite Terry Glenn, who still has plenty of speed. How long Owens behaves will be the question. You can bet he’ll have big games in the two meetings with the Eagles, though. Glenn should benefit from more one-on-one coverage. They do, however, still have an over-the-hill Drew Bledsoe throwing them the ball.
The draft brought tight end Anthony Fasano in the second round, a pass-catching tight end who will back up starter Jason Witten.
Detroit: The Lions brought in two quarterbacks to replace soon-to-be released Joey Harrington when only one would have done the job. Expect Jon Kitna to win the starting job over Josh McCown, at least for now. Kitna knows how to distribute the ball and should thrive as a solid sleeper QB in new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’ offense. Expect Martz to also get the most out of Detroit’s receiving corps as the Lions offense should be more explosive in 2006.
There was little offensive help in this draft as the Lions went after defense.
Green Bay: Brett Favre will be back for at least one more season, though he’s no longer a top-flight fantasy QB. The team also re-signed running backs Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport, both of whom are coming off of injuries. With Javon Walker now in Denver, Donald Driver is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver, with Robert Ferguson, who is also coming off an injury, sliding into the No. 2 spot.
Speedy Greg Jennings, one of two second-round draft picks, excels at catching short passes and turning them into long gains. He’s a strong late-round pick in rookie drafts given Ferguson’s injury status.
Minnesota: The Vikings jettisoned star quarterback Daunte Culpepper, meaning veteran Brad Johnson is now their No. 1 quarterback. Johnson will never be a fantasy star, but is a solid No. 2 fantasy QB. Running back Chester Taylor was signed and will battle Mewelde Moore for the starting job. Both will likely see time, though Taylor has more fantasy value given the team’s investment in him.
Wide receiver Nate Burleson was lost as a restricted free agent to Seattle, but the team expects Koren Robinson and last year’s top pick Troy Williamson to pick up the slack.
The Vikings surprised many by trading a pair of third round picks for a second round selection used to draft Alabama State quarterback Tarvarius Jackson. But the team feels Jackson, who has a strong arm and good mobility, can be its quarterback of the future.
New Orleans: Those who held on to Deuce McAllister despite his knee injury in 2005, cringed when Reggie Bush fell into the Saints’ lap in the draft. But the Saints will likely have them both on the field at the same time, taking advantage of Bush’s receiving skills. Keep an eye on the situation in the preseason to see how much both back is used and to see if McAllister’s knee is sound. If it’s not, Bush becomes a top-10 pick. As it is, he’s a top-25 pick – especially in leagues that give extra points for receptions – figuring they’ll find a way to get him 10 to 15 touches per game. Bush’s arrival kills Michael Bennett’s value. Bennett came over from Minnesota as a free agent as McAllister’s backup, but is now No. 3 on the depth chart.
The Saints finally tired of Aaron Brooks never living up to his potential and let him walk in favor of free agent signee Drew Brees. Brees, who’s coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum, should work well with veteran receiver Joe Horn and will be a top fantasy quarterback this season considering the Saints will likely be playing in a lot of shootouts.
New York Giants: The Giants were pretty quiet this offseason as far as fantasy football goes, adding only speedy receiver Sinorice Moss in the second round of the draft. Don’t expect much from Moss, though as he’ll likely be the No. 4 receiver, which means he’s actually the sixth option on a team that also includes running back Tiki Barber and tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Philadelphia: After giving up on Terrell Owens experience, the Eagles surprisingly didn’t do much in free agency or the draft to replace their former star wideout, bringing in only Jabar Gaffney, who had 55 catches for Houston last season, but averaged less than 10 yards per catch. The thought is that a healthy Donovan McNabb coupled with wideout Reggie Brown in his second season will be enough to replace Owens.
The draft did yield some help at the wide receiver position as the team selected both Jason Avant of Michigan and Jeremy Bloom. Bloom should help the return game, but don’t look for much from either reciever in terms of fantasy production.
St. Louis: The Rams traded tight end Brandon Manumaleuna to the Chargers opening the door for second-round draft pick Joe Klopfenstein to start right away. Klopfenstein is an excellent receiver, so he’s a nice sleeper pick at tight end given the offensive talent around him.
The draft also brought former Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, who will be converted into a wide receiver/return man.
The Rams signed Gus Frerotte to back up injury-prone quarterback Marc Bulger. In large leagues, if you draft Bulger, you’d better take Frerotte as well.
San Francisco: Unhappy with their production at wide receiver last season, the 49ers traded Brandon Lloyd to Washington and signed Antonio Bryant, late of Cleveland. He’ll start and could end up being second-year quarterback Alex Smith’s security blanket if he can keep his head on straight. Arnaz Battle takes over the other spot and third-round draft pick Brandon Williams could also figure into the mix as the season rolls on.
The draft yielded speedy tight end Vernon Davis, who at 6-3, 256 pounds with 4.4-second speed will be expected to cause mismatch problems all over the field. Davis will be a solid tight end pick this year.
The 49ers also selected quarterback Michael Robinson of Penn State and will convert him to running back, causing further matchup problems if he can win a job as a third-down back.
Seattle: The Seahawks signed restricted free agent Nate Burleson away from Minnesota as revenge for the Vikings signing guard Steve Hutchinson. Burleson will try to shake off an injury-plagued 2005 season and could thrive in the northwest opposite Darrell Jackson. Some owners will be down on him after everyone expected a breakout season in 2005. Don’t be one of them.
Tampa Bay: The Bucs didn’t do much offensively this offseason other than dumping former starting quarterback Brian Griese. But 6-4, 216-pound wideout Maurice Stoval, a third-round draft pick, could be a nice red zone target for quarterback Chris Simms and may be a nice late-round pick in TD-only scoring leagues.
Washington: Daniel Snyder was at it again this offseason, collecting as many name players as he could. Brandon Lloyd was added via a trade with San Francisco, while the team completely overpaid for Antwaan Randl El. One of those two will start opposite Santana Moss at wide receiver, with David Patten also figuring into the mix.
Former starting quarterback Patrick Ramsey was traded to the Jets, opening the door for Jason Campbell to move into the backup role behind aging veteran Mark Brunell at quarterback.
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