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Volume 8, Issue 68 (Sunday, July 1st)
Hi Folks, Good Monday morning to you. Hope you're ready for a great 4th of July week. We are here. We'll be celebrating the Fourth of course but you know we'll keep bringing you all the news and info you need. But first, the Quote Of The Day: "I'm tired of seeing your face on TV." --Commissioner Roger Goodell to QB Brady Quinn after pick #10 when the cameras continued to focus on Brady still in the green room. Goodell invited Brady and his family to watch the draft from Goodell's suite so Brady could have some privacy. Let's get to it here. As you can see, we have a lot going on as we have 12 articles released on the site today. We call them our "Beginner Series" but in reality, they all have info that even the most veteran FF owner can benefit from. Check them out. And have a great Monday. JSITE NEWS A.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 1 - Why Fantasy Football?
B.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 2 - The Different Types of Fantasy Leagues
D.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 4 - Starting Lineup Requirements
E.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 5 - Tools of the Trade
G.
Footballguys Staffer Will Grant's Beginner Series - Part 7 - Dominating on Draft Day
H.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 8 - Post Draft Analysis of Your Squad
I.
Footballguys Staffer Chris Smith's Beginner Series - Part 9 - Improving Your Roster After the Draft
K.
Footballguys Staffer Will Grant's Beginner Series - Part 11 - Deciding Who to Start and Who to Bench
L.
Footballguys Staffer Marc Levin's Beginner Series - Part 12 - Your Playoff Push
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. NE - WR Brown Expects To Play Another Year2. DAL - KC - Johnson to Dallas Just A Rumor 3. CAR - Panthers WR Carter Has Shot To Start 4. MIA - Dolphins May Have Interest In G Kendall 5. TEN - RB White In Rush To Shed Weight Issue 6. CLE - Cowher the next Browns coach? 7. DEF - DAL - Cowboys Say They Are Not Interested In DT Johnson NE - WR Brown Expects To Play Another Year Source: Anthony Hanshew, Huntington Herald Dispatch With the New England Patriots signing multiple WRs this offseason, there has been questions about WR Troy Brown. Brown is confident that he will play another season, lining up along side fellow Marshall alum WR Randy Moss. He's faced similar uncertain offseasons recently and annually reached an agreement with his longtime employer. Brown has a pat answer for his current status. "I'm chilling right now," Brown said. "That's my answer. I'm chilling." But, Brown remains confident that he'll play at least one more season. When asked about playing with Moss, Brown seemed excited. "That would be great," Brown said. "You always want to finish where you started at. And to have a chance to play with a guy from Marshall -- I played with (Jermaine) Wiggins and I've played with (Mike) Bartrum -- that would be special. "And he's a fun player to watch. He's very exciting to watch. He's probably the most phenomenal player in the NFL with the things he can do. Skill-wise, his hand-eye coordinator, his speed, you just can't match up with it. "And he's committed. He took a big pay cut to try to win a championship. You can't fault a guy that wants to win. He's on a mission and he really wants to win."[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Brown would be a great guy to have on the team with Moss. Moss is much older now, but he could still use a Cris Carter type influence. I've said it from the get go, Moss will be fine here. And I'd expect for Brown to be back again with New England. DAL - KC - Johnson to Dallas Just A Rumor Source: http://cowboys.scout.com/2/655744.html The speculation about a trade that would ship RB Larry Johnson to Dallas is...well...all rumors; I've dug around Valley Ranch, trying to confirm that there have been substantive discussions with Kansas City regarding the disgruntled superstar running back, and all I got from it is an empty shovel, an empty notepad and a sore back. Except for one sliver. One grain. "The (Dallas) running backs don't offer that 'wow' factor,'' says a source close to the innerworkings of the Cowboys. "There isn't that guy who, when he gets his hands on the ball, makes everybody stand up and take notice.'' [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] I continue to say that I'll be really surprised if Larry Johnson doesn't get paid in Kansas City. The time for giving into Johnson started the day they shipped Trent Green out of town. With the changes (all negative) in the offensive line and the loss of a veteran QB, the Chiefs are crazy if they don't lock down the one area where they know they are elite. And that's running back. They won't fold easily but they're nuts if they let Larry Johnson go anywhere. CAR - Panthers WR Carter Has Shot To Start Source: Steve Reed, The Gaston Gazette After missing all of his rookie season in 2004 with a knee injury, Carolina Panthers WR Drew Carter has shown steady improvement over the last two seasons leaving Carolina's front office, not to mention its fan base, buzzing with optimism over his long-term potential. The 6-foot-3 Carter has uncommon speed for a man his size and can outrun just about any cornerback in the league on a "go route." Few realize this, but he's actually faster than superstar teammate Steve Smith. Remember, Carter has worked with the first team in both minicamps thus far and enters training camp ahead of Jarrett on the depth chart. So if Carter is to lose the starting job, it will be because Jarrett will have done something to earn it.[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] It's easy to forget about Carter the last couple of years but he looks to be making a strong comeback. I like Dwayne Jarrett but don't fall into the Marques Colston trap of thinking a rookie WR can routinely walk in and excel. Most young wide receivers face a pretty steep learning curve and Jarrett will likely be no different. MIA - Dolphins May Have Interest In G Kendall Source: Barry Jackson, Miami Herald New York Jets guard Pete Kendall, who is seeking a $1 million raise from $1.7 million, wants to be released, and The (New York) Daily News reported that's a possibility. If that happens, the Miami Dolphins are expected to have an interest because of doubts about whether veteran Chris Liwienski or rookie sixth-rounder Drew Mormino can handle the job. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Anything is certainly possible. But this one seems to have plenty of obstacles. First off, it would be interesting for the Jets to do something that would help the Dolphins. Secondly, even with tensions high between the Jets and Kendall, he's a guy they need on that line. He lines up between two guys entering their 2nd year in the league and he brings experience and leadership to that offensive line. If he does leave, it'll be a hit for Thomas Jones and Chad Pennington. TEN - RB White In Rush To Shed Weight Issue Source: John Henderson, Denver Post "It's not that I have an eating problem," White said. "I'm not going to leave here and go to Wendy's and get 17 cheeseburgers. It's nothing like that. I know I can control myself." Reports out of Nashville had the 6-foot-1 White ballooning to 260 pounds before the Titans' offseason program began in March. That's 20 pounds over his playing weight. He did show a bit of a stomach under his white, untucked Titans jersey Saturday but not 20 pounds of stomach. He said he never got over 250 and currently weighs 245. He plans to lose "a pound a week" before training camp begins July 29. He bristled at the report of 260 pounds - "That's how the league is," he said. "There's always some naysayer" - but did admit he emphasized the "off" this offseason. "When you're done with 16 weeks of the NFL, you want to relax," he said. "It's just grueling. Being a rookie, I didn't get the ball a lot. Your body's more tired. It's not like I'm hurting and can't get up. You're worn down. You need a break, but I overtook the break. I've learned from my mistakes, and it'll never happen again." But he had a good time. He returned to USC to visit with old teammates. He went to the Super Bowl in Miami. Went to the NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. "When you're in Las Vegas, you want to go to the nice steakhouses," he said. "It is what it is. It's nothing that can't be fixed." But can he be a serviceable every-down back in the NFL? "Whatever he puts his mind to, he can do it," Young said. "It's pretty much up to him. Everybody else has his back. I know what LenDale can do on the field. I've been looking forward to this season and him playing a lot and him reaching his dream as an NFL running back." "It was over-exaggerated," Young said of White's weight. "Everybody wants to stir up something. It sells, I guess. What I see when he's at practice? You can't stop him, if he has weight or don't have weight. He's an athlete. You can't coach that."[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] With Travis Henry out of the picture, LenDale White will have his chance to take the reins. But he did little this spring to convince the Titans he could be the man, prompting them to go out and re-sign Chris Brown. Now it'll be Brown and White battling for the top spot. I'm leaning toward Brown but White certainly has the talent. The question will be whether he can bring the mental part of his game up to the same level. CLE - Cowher the next Browns coach? Source: Sean McClelland, Dayton Daily News A Pittsburgh columnist added some fuel last week, addressing whether Cowher, the former Steelers coach, would consider returning to the league as coach of the Browns in '08. According to the rumor, Cowher is said to have engaged in "secret" talks with the Browns, Panthers and Redskins. Farfetched as that part probably is, Cleveland might be a logical landing zone for Cowher, who played for the Browns from '80-82 and was an assistant coach with the team from '85-88.[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] A lot can and will happen between now and the 2008 season but this one makes some sense. At least in some ways. Browns coach Romeo Crennel just isn't wowing folks. If he gets off to a slow start, you can expect he'll be on the hot seat early. DEF - DAL - Cowboys Say They Are Not Interested In DT Johnson Source: The Chicago Tribune Put the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the list of those not interested in giving former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson a second chance. "Any interest would be pretty minimal right now," Cowboys director of scouting Jeff Ireland told the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. "There were a lot of issues coming out of college with this guy, and now it's been compounded by what went on with the Bears. I don't think we'd be interested at all." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Talk is cheap here. This could just as easily be negotiating tactics as anything else. He's right of course in that Johnson is a risk. And that will lower his value. But Dallas won't be the only team that will consider taking the risk. That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Monday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update. J |
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