Fantasy Football Scouts


NFC 
Offseason Fantasy Focus 
4for4.com Exclusive
C
ourtesy of the Observer-Reporter 
By Dale Lolley
Posted 5/15/07

Also see: AFC - Offseason Fantasy Focus

Most people don't have time to keep a running score on who went where during the offseason. So we here at 4for4.com do it for you. Now that the draft is complete and most teams have a minicamp under their belt, here's the scorecard for the offseason


Arizona Cardinals
Offseason additions: Head coach Ken Whisenhunt, WR/KR Steve Breaston (draft).

Offseason losses: None.

Fantasy focus: From a fantasy standpoint, the Cardinals didn't make any big player moves. But the addition of Whisenhunt will bring a different mentality to the team in 2007. Edgerrin James, who had a tough 2006, should benefit most, as Whisenhunt will employ many of the same strategies he used in Pittsburgh, trying to build a first-half lead and then running the ball in the second half. Breaston could pump up the return game.


Atlanta Falcons
Offseason additions: Head coach Bobby Petrino, PK Billy Cundiff, QB Joey Harrington (Miami), WR Joe Horn (New Orleans), FB Ovie Mughelli (Baltimore), QB Chris Redman (Baltimore), WR Laurent Robinson (draft), TE Martrez Milner (draft)

Offseason losses: TE Eric Beverly, FB Justin Griffith, WR Ashlie Lelie, QB Matt Schaub.

Fantasy focus: Petrino put all of his eggs in the Michael Vick basket when he decided to trade Schaub to Houston. Vick is a different QB than Petrino used at Louisville, but don't look for Petrino to try to pound a square peg into a round hole and try to make Vick a pocket passer. Harrington takes over Schaub's spot as the backup QB. Cundiff will replace Morten Andersen as the team's placekicker. Horn is probably the biggest addition as he'll give Vick somebody reliable to throw to - when healthy - other than tight end Alge Crumpler. Horn, however, has had some trouble staying healthy in recent years, though, so don't get too excited. Mughelli is a nice pickup and could steal some goalline touches in addition to being a good receiver out of the backfield.


Carolina Panthers
Offseason additions: QB David Carr (Houston), WR Dwayne Jarrett (draft), WR/KR Ryne Robinson

Offseason losses: WR Keyshawn Johnson, WR Karl Hankton, QB Chris Weinke

Fantasy focus: Carr replaces Weinke as the team's backup to starter Jake Delahomme, who struggled in 2006. A change of scenery could do the former No. 1-overall pick in the draft some good. Keep an eye on him. Johnson was released when the team selected Jarrett in the second round of the draft. Jarrett is a younger version of Johnson. He'll step in as the No. 2 receiver to Steve Smith. Robinson will help out in the return game, where the team will no longer have to subject Smith to possible injury by sending him out on punt returns.


Chicago Bears
Offseason additions: TE Greg Olsen (draft), RB Garrett Wolfe (draft)

Offseason losses: WR Justin Gage, RB Thomas Jones.

Fantasy focus: The trade of Jones to the Jets leaves Cedric Benson as the unquestioned starter in Chicago. He's a possible first-round fantasy pick and no worse than a No. 2 fantasy running back. Olsen is a speedy tight end whose college production didn't match his workout numbers. But the Miami (Fla.) tight ends have done well in recent years in the NFL, so don't be afraid to take a chance on him. Wolfe is a change-of-pace running back.


Dallas Cowboys
Offseason additions: Head coach Wade Phillips, QB Brad Johnson (Minnesota), WR Isaiah Stanback (draft), PK Nick Folk (draft)

Offseason subtractions: QB Drew Bledsoe

Fantasy focus: Johnson replaces Bledsoe (retirement) as Tony Romo's backup. Stanback is a speedster with big-play ability, but won't crack the starting lineup and will likely be no better than the team's fourth receiver. Folk will battle Martin Gramatica as the team's kicker. Don't look for Phillips to do much different than Bill Parcells did offensively. It will be interesting to see how Phillips handles WR Terrell Owens, though.


Detroit Lions
Offseason additions: RB Tatum Bell (Denver), T.J. Duckett (Washington), WR Shaun McDonald (St. Louis), WR Marcus Robinson (Minnesota), WR Calvin Johnson (draft), QB Drew Stanton (draft)

Offseason losses: QB Josh McCown, TE Marcus Pollard, FB Cory Schlesinger, WR Mike Williams

Fantasy focus: The Lions seem content in turning Detroit into St. Louis north with offensive coordinator Mike Martz running the show. Bell comes over from Denver as insurance for oft-injured Kevin Jones, who probably won't be ready for the start of the season after suffering a Lis-Franc injury. Jones was having a breakout season in 2006 before the injury, but the addition of Bell certainly clouds his situation even if he does come back from the injury. Duckett could handle the short-yardage duties after a wasted year in Washington. The wide receiver position has undergone a total makeover despite having holdovers Mike Furrey and Roy Williams, an accomplished duo in their own right. Johnson was the best player in this year's draft and the Lions couldn't pass on him despite having given Furrey, who had a breakout season in 2006, a new deal in the offseason. Furrey will likely move to the No. 3 spot, with Johnson starting opposite Williams in what should be a defensive back's nightmare. Jon Kitna will again be the quarterback as Stanton takes a year or two to develop. Kitna still throws some bad interceptions, but he should put up plenty of yardage and touchdowns to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback in 2007.


Green Bay Packers
Offseason additions: RB Brandon Jackson (draft), WR James Jones (draft), WR David Clowney (draft), PK Mason Crosby (draft), RB DeShawn Wynn (draft), TE Clark Harris (draft)

Offseason losses: RB Ahman Green, FB William Henderson, TE David Martin

Fantasy focus: Vernand Morency will get the first shot at replacing Green, with Noah Herron also figuring into the mix. Jackson is more of a change-of-pace back, while Wynn was too much of a value to pass up in the seventh round of the draft despite character problems. There doesn't look to be a pure feature back among the group, though. The Packers toyed with the idea of acquiring Randy Moss in a trade with Oakland, but balked at the price and Moss eventually went to New England for a fourth round draft pick. Instead, Green Bay opted to bring in young receivers James Jones, a possession-type receiver, and Clowney, who has speed, but little else, in the draft. At one time, Brett Favre could make his receivers better, even rookies. But those days are likely gone. Don't look for great things out of either rookie. Crosby will be given every opportunity to beat out Dave Raynor for the placekicking duties.


Minnesota Vikings
Offseason additions: WR Cortez Hankton (Jacksonville), QB Drew Henson, TE Visanthe Shiancoe (Giants), WR Bobby Wade (Tennessee), RB Adrian Peterson (draft), WR Sidney Rice (draft), WR Aundrae Allison (draft), QB Tyler Thigpen (draft)

Offseason losses: WR Bethel Johnson, QB Brad Johnson, TE Jermaine Wiggins

Fantasy focus: Can the Vikings really be serious about going into the season with Tavarius Jackson at QB? That's what it appears to be at this point. Don't expect much from Jackson. Brooks Bollinger, Henson and Thigpen will battle for the No. 2 and 3 spots in what has to be the worst QB group in the league. Peterson is a big power back and the Vikings may use both he and Chester Taylor in the same backfield. Taylor had a good season in 2006, but his value certainly takes a hit. The Vikings need a breakout season from Troy Williamson. Billy McMullen, Wade and Rice will battle for a starting WR spot.


New Orleans Saints
Offseason additions: TE Eric Johnson (San Francisco), PK Olindo Mare (Miami), WR David Patten (Washington), WR Robert Meachem (draft), RB Antonio Pittman (draft)

Offseason losses: PK John Carney, TE Ernie Conwell, WR Joe Horn

Fantasy focus: With Joe Horn now in Atlanta, Marques Colston is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver. Meachem has talent and like the other Saints wideouts, he's a bigger guy. But he also has excellent speed. Keep an eye on him. Patten comes over from Washington and should excel in the slot. Johnson is a nice upgrade at tight end from Conwell and should fit in nicely as well. Mare replaces Carney and should benefit from kicking indoors and in this potent offense. Pittman will eventually replace Duece McAllister, but not this season.


New York Giants
Offseason additions: RB Reuben Droughns (Cleveland), QB Anthony Wright (Cincinnati), WR Steve Smith (draft), TE Kevin Boss (draft)

Offseason losses: RB Tiki Barber, WR Tim Carter, PK Jay Feely, RB/KR Chad Morton, TE Visanthe Shiancoe

Fantasy focus: Droughns will team with Brandon Jacobs to try to replace the production of Barber. But both are power runners and aren't even close to being in Barber's class as receivers out of the backfield. That could be good news for Jeremy Shockey - if he can stay healthy - since he should benefit from some of the check-down passes Barber used to catch. Smith will step in as a slot receiver and could begin the season as a starter if Amani Toomer is slow to recover from a torn ACL. With Feely gone the only kickers on the team's roster at this point are Marc Hickok and Josh Huston. Neither are dependable fantasy kickers at this point.


Philadelphia Eagles
Offseason additions: WR Kevin Curtis (St. Louis), QB Kelly Holcomb (Buffalo), WR Bethel Johnson (Minnesota), QB Kevin Kolb (draft), RB Tony Hunt (draft)

Offseason losses: QB Jeff Garcia, WR Donte Stallworth

Fantasy focus: Donovan McNabb has been injured in four of the past five seasons, hence the move to pick up Holcomb and Kolb after the loss of Garcia. McNabb is one of the biggest enigmas in fantasy play. He's great when he plays, he just can't seem to stay healthy. Given his production, he's a top-5 QB, but you'd better have a solid backup in place if you take him. Curtis and Johnson were brought in to help ease the loss of Stallworth. Curtis is the most likely to do so. Hunt is a similar back to Correll Buckhalter, who is already on the roster as a backup to Brian Westbrook.


St. Louis Rams
Offseason additions: WR Drew Bennett (Tennessee), WR Dante Hall (Kansas City), TE Randy McMichael (Miami), RB Travis Minor (Miami), RB Brian Leonard (draft)

Offseason losses: WR Kevin Curtis, RB Marshall Faulk, WR Shaun McDonald

Fantasy focus: Bennett and Hall come in to replace Curtis and McDonald. Bennett will also be insurance for Isaac Bruce, who is getting a little long in tooth and whose production has fallen off. McMichael is still a very good receiving tight end and should work well in this offense. Minor will help out behind Steven Jackson, while Leonard will step into the lineup at fullback. He's a good receiver out of the backfield and should get his share of catches.


San Francisco 49ers
Offseason additions: WR Darrell Jackson (Seattle), WR Ashlie Lelie (Atlanta), WR Jason Hill (draft)

Offseason subtractions: WR Antonio Bryant, TE Eric Johnson

Fantasy focus: It's a whole new WR corps this season for QB Alex Smith. Jackson will be the obvious No. 1 after coming over in a trade from Seattle. Lelie is a deep threat, but hasn't shown the consistency to be much more than that. Jackson has missed time in each of the past two seasons with knee and back injuries. Hill is a big receiver with good hands who should fit in well.


Seattle Seahawks
Offseason additions: TE Marcus Pollard (Detroit), WR Courtney Taylor (draft), WR Jordan Kent (draft)

Offseason losses: WR Darrell Jackson, RB Josh Scobey, TE Jerramy Stevens

Fantasy focus: With Jackson gone, a spot should be opened up in the starting lineup for D.J. Hackett, who impressed down the stretch. There should also be enough catches around for Deion Branch and Nate Burleson to catch a lot of passes as well. Pollard will be the starting tight end, but his best days are behind him.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offseason additions: QB Jeff Garcia (Philadelphia), TE Jerramy Stevens (Seattle)

Offseason losses: None

Fantasy focus: The Bucs tried to make a deal for Jake Plummer as well, but Plummer retired rather than leave Denver. Garcia will probably beat out Chris Simms for the starting spot. The offensive line was beefed up in free agency, while the draft was used on defensive players. Cadillac Willams should be better with better QB and offensive line play after a poor second season. His value will be lower this year than it was last season, when he was a first-round pick in a lot of fantasy drafts. But he should be a good No. 2 back.


Washington Redskins
Offseason additions: QB Jordan Palmer (draft)

Offseason losses: RB T.J. Duckett, TE Christian Fauria, PK John Hall, WR David Patten

Fantasy focus: After years of bringing in every big-name free agent they could get their hands on, the Redskins pulled back this offseason. Palmer is strictly backup material behind Jason Campbell, who will enter training camp for the first time as the No. 1 QB. Shaun Suisham will handle the placekicking duties with Hall gone. Perhaps the biggest move the team made was keeping Ladell Betts from becoming a free agent by re-signing him late last season. He's a nice complimentary back to Clinton Portis and if you draft Portis, you'd better handcuff him to Betts.