Month: July 2012

Ravens’ Terrell Suggs says we will see him this year

stevenlourie News, Ravens

Even though he’s backed off his earlier statement that he’d be back in November at the latest, Terrell Suggs remains optimistic in his recovery from a torn Achilles and assured everyone on NFL Live at the end of last week that we will see him this season. While Suggs’ optimism is admirable, Achilles tears are one of the most serious injuries a player can suffer and players almost never return in less than a year. A return in December would mean a mere 7 month recovery, though I guess if anyone can do it, it’s Suggs. Still, the smart money is on us not seeing Suggs this season at all. The Ravens will definitely miss him.

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Ravens’ Ed Reed won’t commit to Training Camp

stevenlourie News, Ravens

After contemplating retirement earlier this offseason and skipping mandatory minicamp, Ed Reed is now refusing to commit to Training Camp, likely in protest of his contract as he heads into a contract year. Reed, 34 in September, is owed 7.2 million this year, but, given his age, the Ravens don’t want to commit that kind of money to him past this season, especially since he does have a recent history of injury problems.

Ray Lewis, among others, have assured all offseason that Reed will be there for the season, which would be his 11th in the NFL, all with the Ravens. It seems that Reed is just making noise for the sake of making noise, which he does often in the offseason. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t there for the start of Training Camp. The bigger concern for Ravens fans with Reed should be his age, his injury history (missed 10 games from 2009-2010), and the fact that he’s unsigned after the season.

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Undrafted free agent Ronald Leary could start at guard for Cowboys

stevenlourie Cowboys, News

The interior offensive line was a major problem for the Cowboys last year, which is why they didn’t bring either Montrae Holland or Kyle Kosier back. Those were their two starting guards and they’re both still available on the open market, which shows just how bad things were. The Cowboys thought they had fixed things when they signed Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, even though Livings struggled mightily as a starter in Cincinnati last year and Bernadeau was a career backup in Carolina after going in the 7th round in 2008.

That “plan” had a roadblock when Bernadeau needed hip surgery, which opened things up for competition. Bernadeau is expected to be ready to go week 1, but he’s no sure thing to start anymore even though they gave him a starting caliber contract. 2011 4th round pick David Arkin and even undrafted free agent Ronald Leary could win the starting job.

While Arkin is reportedly improved off a rookie year where he barely played, Leary was the one who started for the Cowboys in minicamp. Even though the Cowboys had a 3rd round grade on Leary heading into the draft, the fact that they’re even having to consider starting an undrafted rookie on the offensive line just shows how bad the situation is. Last year, they started Bill Nagy, a 7th round pick rookie, at center, before benching him for Phil Costa, who wasn’t much better. Costa will start at center again this year. Their interior trio might be the worst in the NFL.

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Cardinals’ Michael Floyd finally attends teammate Larry Fitzgerald’s summer camp

stevenlourie Cardinals, News

When the Cardinals used the 13th overall selection on Michael Floyd in the 2012 NFL Draft, they did it in an attempt to take away some of the bracket coverage from Larry Fitzgerald and to potentially recreate what they had a few years ago with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. It was also done possibly at Larry Fitzgerald’s urging as Fitz reportedly asked the Cardinals to take Floyd.

I’m not saying for sure that’s why they took him, but it wouldn’t be the first time the Cardinals made a decision heavily influenced by Larry Fitzgerald. Needing him to sign a long term extension, which he eventually did (8 years, 120 million), the Cardinals gave up a king’s ransom for Kevin Kolb, a friend of Fitzgerald’s who Fitzgerald asked the team to acquire. The Cardinals gave up a 2nd round pick, a starting cornerback in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and gave Kolb a 5 year, 63 million dollar deal.

Larry Fitzgerald holds a summer camp every offseason and it’s often credited with breakout seasons for receivers around the league. Fitzgerald is currently holding the camp right now and Floyd was absent from the first 3 workouts, something Fitzgerald called him out for on Twitter. Floyd answered the call and was present at the workout on Tuesday.

Floyd is expected to start Training Camp as low as 4th on the depth chart, but it’s more likely that the Cardinals are just making him earn a starting job. He’s much more talented than Andre Roberts and Early Doucet and the Cardinals didn’t draft him to sit him on the bench. Expect Doucet and Roberts to fight for snaps behind Fitzgerald and Floyd. All of the sudden, that’s a very good receiving corps. It’s still unclear if the Cardinals have a quarterback to take advantage of it yet, so stay away from any Cardinal receiver not named Larry Fitzgerald in fantasy drafts.

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Titans’ Derrick Morgan no longer wearing a knee brace

stevenlourie News, Titans

Derrick Morgan was the 16th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and had high expectations after 55 tackles, 18.5 for loss, and 12.5 sacks in his final year at Georgia Tech. However, with just 5 career sacks in 2 years, Morgan is now better known as the guy who was selected one pick after Jason Pierre Paul. Morgan missed most of his rookie season with a torn ACL and managed just 2 sacks in 4 games and then struggled mightily in 2011, managing just 3 sacks, with 6 quarterback hits and 19 quarterback pressures. On 378 pass rush snaps, that’s a 7.4% rate, a big part of the reason why only 4 defensive ends graded out worse than him on ProFootballFocus in 2011.

A huge part of the reason why he struggled in 2011 was that he had not fully recovered from his torn ACL. He needed two procedures on that knee and wore a knee brace all last season. Now, heading into his 3rd year in the league, he has shed his knee brace and could be poised for a breakout season. At the same time, if he struggles again, he could be gone after the year. He’ll no longer have an excuse and the coaching staff that drafted him is gone so the team will have no loyalty to him. A strong year from Derrick Morgan, as well as the addition of Kamerion Wimbley, will have big positive effect for a Tennessee team that managed 28 sacks last year, 3rd worst in the NFL.

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Colt McCoy makes sense for Saints?

stevenlourie News, Saints

As we get closer to the season, Colt McCoy is one of the biggest names, if not the biggest name, who is very available via trade. McCoy is the incumbent starter in Cleveland, but struggled en route to a 4-12 record last year, prompting the Browns to use a 1st round pick on Brandon Weeden, a soon to be 29 year old quarterback. Given Weeden’s age, they want him out there week 1 and because of McCoy’s popularity in the locker room, they want him gone so as not to create any distractions for Weeden. They are shopping him on the cheap.

The Eagles and Packers have been thrown around as possibilities as they are good teams in need of backup quarterbacks, but so far no deal has been reached. Interest will pick up in Training Camp as teams are given a chance to more accurately assess their quarterback situation. One team that makes some sense, according to ESPN Cleveland, is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have Chase Daniel as their primary backup behind starter Drew Brees right now. The 2009 undrafted free agent has thrown all of 8 passes in the NFL and currently has a fractured throwing thumb.

McCoy would serve as a more proven backup and insurance in case Brees holds out into the season, which he is not expected to do. McCoy would also fit because the Saints have had no problem with shorter quarterbacks before. The 6-1 McCoy would fit in perfectly with the 6 foot tall Drew Brees and the 6 foot tall Chase Daniel. Also, as Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland points out, playing indoors wouldn’t “tax his questionable arm strength.” Wherever he goes, McCoy is certainly a good value in a trade. He’s not starting caliber, but he’s at least an above average backup. He’s experienced, he’s still only 26 in September, and he’s owed just over a million combined over the next 2 seasons. You can do a lot worse things with a 7th round pick.

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Colts’ Donald Brown will get shot to be lead back

stevenlourie Colts, News

Donald Brown was a 1st round pick in 2009, but has not lived up to the billing so far, rushing for just 1423 yards and 10 scores on 341 carries in 3 seasons. It’s not like he’s never gotten a shot as former starter Joseph Addai was always injured, but he’s never been able to impress. With a new coaching staff in town and Joseph Addai completely out of the picture, Brown is expected to be given every opportunity to win the lead back job, but the Colts have no shortage of options behind him.

They’ve used a mid round pick in each of the last two years on running backs, taking Delone Carter and Vick Ballard. If Brown slips up, he’ll lose his job and possibly for good. The new coaching staff has no loyalty to him and could cut him after the season if someone else establishes themselves. For fantasy purposes, there’s definitely upside with Brown as he’ll be given a chance to carry the load, but also downside because he’s never shown himself to be anything more than an average back. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year, but 80 yards were on one run. Without that run, he averaged just 4.2 YPC last year, which, not surprisingly, is his career average.

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Packers not expected to sign a veteran running back

stevenlourie News, Packers

According to Fox Sports Wisconsin, the Packers are not expected to sign a veteran running back and have told James Starks and Alex Green so. The Packers are going with a youth movement at the position with Starks, a 2010 6th round pick, Green, a 2011 3rd round pick, and Brandon Saine, a 2011 undrafted free agent. Free agent Ryan Grant has expressed interest in returning to Green Bay, but the interest has not been mutual.

The trio has a combined 183 career carries and both Starks and Green have a history of injury problems. Starks missed his entire senior season at Buffalo with a shoulder injury in 2009, most of his rookie year with the Packers in 2010, and was on and off the injury report all last season, while Green is coming off a torn ACL. Given their lack of depth, Fox Sports Wisconsin also believes undrafted free agent Marc Tyler has a good chance of making the roster. They won’t run much, they could carry 4 running backs, and they could give three running backs significant chunks of the carries. There’s some upside in the backfield, but no sure thing fantasy football players.

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Saints, Drew Brees more than 10 million apart in guaranteed money

stevenlourie News, Saints

With 5 days left to sign a long term deal, the Saints and Drew Brees are reportedly close on maximum money, but remain more than 10 million apart in guaranteed money. According to the Associated Press, the Saints and Brees have essentially agreed to a 5 year deal, worth max of 100 million dollars, which would make him the highest paid player in the NFL and keep signed through his age 37 since in 2016. However, the two sides remain far apart on guarantees and how to structure the contract.

The AP also seconds a report that Brees will not report to Training Camp without a new deal, which would be a major hit to the team’s already fragile chemistry and morale. This deal will get done right before the deadline, if at all. If he remains unsigned, Brees will be a free agent next offseason and would be owed over 23 million in 2013 if franchised again, so Brees would appear to have all of the leverage. Needless to say, they have to get this deal done, even if it means potentially slightly overpaying Brees in his twilight years. He’s been underpaid for years and is well worth 20+ million per year currently.

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Percy Harvin won’t play for Vikings in 2013 without an extension

stevenlourie News, Vikings

Percy Harvin made a lot of noise last month when he demanded a trade from the Minnesota Vikings. With 2 years left on his deal, Harvin had a list of complaints, including his contract and his playing time. Harvin backed off a bit and is expected to report to Training Camp next month, but made it clear today that he won’t play in 2013, the final year of his rookie contract, without an extension, according to ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.

If Harvin has the type of year he is capable of, he could be worth elite wide receiver money next offseason. In his last 11 games last year, he had 69 catches for 784 yards and 6 touchdowns, good for 100 catches for 1140 yards and 9 touchdowns over 16 games and that was with a rookie quarterback and despite not even leading his team in snaps played among wide receivers (that “honor” went to Devin Aromashodu last year).

Expected to get more playing time this year, Harvin could have 100+ catches and 1200+ yards and close to double digit touchdowns on an improved offense and also adds value on the ground, rushing for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns on 52 carries last year and he’s also scored 4 times in his career on punt returns. Not 25 until next May, Harvin is an incredibly valuable player who would almost definitely not return equal value in a trade.

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