Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 43 (Monday, June 1st)
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Hi Folks,
I told you the other day that we've got TWO huge things to introduce this Summer. Today, we're dropping the first one. Check out the "Site News" section below for the debut of the Footballguys Rate My Team App. Get used to me saying it, "If you only try ONE thing we do here at Footballguys, make this it." It's seriously that good. Plus we've got all the News and Notes you need in order to stay on top of everything. So let's get to it. JSITE NEWS
A.
Rate My Team App - The ONE App you MUST try
I fully admit I get excited about the Footballguys products we offer. Ok, I admit I get a little overexcited about the Footballguys products we offer. While enthusiasm is often good, in my case it can work against me as when I'm jacked up about features every day, I can start to lose a bit of credibility. It becomes, "Sure Joe loves this thing, he loves everything they do".
If you think that, stop. Seriously stop and click on the link in the headline because you've got to see this thing. If you only check out ONE thing that Footballguys does this year, this App is it.
You enter your team that you've drafted, answer a couple of things about your league and bam, we give you the rundown on how we think you did. And how you can improve your team for the season. And don't worry if you haven't drafted yet, enter some teams you've seen drafted in other places (or make up a team on the fly) and let us tell you what we think of the team.
And you can tell us what you think of the App. Trust me on this - I think you're going to like it.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. NE - QB Tom Brady's doctor amazed by recovery2. NYG - QB Eli Manning likes WR corps
3. ARZ - WR Anquan Boldin hires new agent
4. NYJ - RB Thomas Jones present for OTA Monday
5. STL - WRs Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton should start the season at WR1 and WR2
6. SF - RB Frank Gore is noticeably trimmer
7. TB - Very little to the WR Marvin Harrison rumors
8. KC - RB Larry Johnson present at practice Monday
9. BUF - Team consults QB Jim Kelly about no huddle offense
10. WAS - WR Malcolm Kelly feeling pressure
11. NFL - WR Plaxico Burress gets 4 traffic charges dropped
12. ARZ - WR Larry Fitzgerald fine after making awkward catch Monday
13. JAC - Jaguars working on Wildcat Monday
14. DET - WR Calvin Johnson absent from OTA Monday
15. DEF - NYG - DE Osi Umenyiora practices Monday
NE - QB Tom Brady's doctor amazed by recovery
Source: Sam Farmer, The Los Angeles Times
Sam Farmer, of the Los Angeles Times, reports Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the doctor who performed reconstrucive knee surgery on New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (knee), said Brady has exceeded his expectations in terms of recovery time.
Brady also talked about the uncertainty and troubles immediately following the surgery. "I remember when we came out of the original procedure and five days later things weren't going the way that we hoped, and I think it was his instincts and quick decision-making that got me in there before anything really bad could happen," Brady said. "If you misdiagnose something like that, then you have big problems. It was his judgment and instincts, and then him assuring me that everything was going to be OK. "Obviously, with how I feel now, he was 100% right in what he did. It's great for me to have so much trust and to know that hopefully nothing ever comes up again but if it does that I have somebody like him in my corner."[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
'With regard to his recovery of strength, I've never seen anything quite like it. With an average person, it would have taken probably twice as long to get range of motion and strength back,' ElAttrache said.
NYG - QB Eli Manning likes WR corps
Source: Matt Mosley, ESPN.com
Matt Mosley, of ESPN.com, reports New York Giants QB Eli Manning said he likes the team's wide receiver corps even without unrestricted free-agent WRs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.
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'No Plax, no Toomer -- it feels different without those guys,' said Manning, 'but I like this group. It's a competitive group. It's a group that works hard. Nobody's getting any special treatment. Nobody has an ego. It's a group that cares about everybody else. It's a good group.' Steve Smith was lining up in the #1 spot with Domenik Hixon on the other side. Rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden could both play important roles in the upcoming season, but for right now they are not at the top of the depth chart.
ARZ - WR Anquan Boldin hires new agent
Source: Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic
Kent Somers, of The Arizona Republic, reports Arizona Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin has hired Tom Condon as his new agent.
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Cardinals GM Rod Graves has experience working with Condon, so this may signal that Boldin is staying in Arizona. However, there are 2 other players - SS Adrian Wilson, and LB Karlos Dansby - that are higher priorities for the Cardinals to sign. Boldin may have to wait until after those deals are done before he gets an offer from the team.
NYJ - RB Thomas Jones present for OTA Monday
Source: Rich Cimini, The New York Daily News
Rich Cimini, of the New York Daily News, reports New York Jets RB Thomas Jones was present for the organized team activity Monday, June 1.
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Jones still wants a new contract although it seems unlikely the Jets will grant his wish. "He told me he's happy to be here and I told him I'm certainly happy that he's here," Ryan said. "Would I have liked to have seen him here the first day of (workouts) and going through all the lifting and everything else with his teammates? Of course. But right now, I'm focused on let's move forward."
STL - WRs Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton should start the season at WR1 and WR2
Source: www.stlouisrams.com
Stlouisrams.com is reporting as it stands, it appears second-year men Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton are all but sure things to sit atop the depth chart when the smoke has cleared. Laurent Robinson, acquired from Atlanta via trade before the draft, is also right in the mix.
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It's not outlandish to make this prediction, but it's June 1st so many things could happen before the start of the regular season. Behind Donnie Avery the Rams WR depth chart is wide open. Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, and rookie Brooks Foster could compete to start opposite Avery. Robinson is a real threat to Burton's spot, but rookie Brooks Foster might be used best working out of the slot. With this thin WR corps it's no wonder why the Rams want to be a run-heavy offense.
SF - RB Frank Gore is noticeably trimmer
Source: Jim Trotter, SI.com reports
Jim Trotter from SI.com reports that after showing up for the May 1 minicamp overweight, Frank Gore, the 49ers' star running back promised his coaches he would drop 10 pounds before the offseason coaching sessions kicked off two weeks later. When he walked through the locker room doors May 18, there was no need to put him on the scale. Gore was noticeably trimmer.
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Opinions on Frank Gore are all over the board this year. His current ADP is RB9 so fantasy owners can expect Gore to be available with a mid-late 1st round pick. The 49ers drafted Glen Coffee to help keep Gore fresh, so it's likely that he'll rush for around 1,200 yards, 8 TDs, with about 45 receptions on the year.
TB - Very little to the WR Marvin Harrison rumors
Source: Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune
Roy Cummings from the Tampa Tribune has done a little digging on those Marvin Harrison rumors and as he suspected there's very little to them. The Bucs call about Harrison is said to have been "exploratory," which is a high-brow way of saying they probably did little more than ask how he was doing and what he was up to while talking to his agent about another client.
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There is a youth movement happening in Tampa Bay this year so signing Marvin Harrison would run contrary to that direction. Rookie slot receiver Sammie Stroughter has been wowing coaches in minicamp and could be more effective than Harrison at his advanced age.
KC - RB Larry Johnson present at practice Monday
Source: Kent Babb, The Kansas City Star
Kent Babb, of The Kansas City Star, reports Kansas City Chiefs RB Larry Johnson was present during the team's practice Monday, June 1.
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Larry Johnson continues to put his best foot forward with the new regime in KC after demanding a trade earlier in the offseason. The Chiefs should use Johnson as the lead back in a RBBC with Jamaal Charles.
BUF - Team consults QB Jim Kelly about no huddle offense
Source: Chris Brown, Buffalobills.com
Bills HOF QB Jim Kelly has offered some input to the offensive staff with respect to the no huddle approach. Here's what Jim had to say about it. "From what I understand they're going to run a little no huddle offense and I've talked to Alex and I've talked to Turk about some of the things and whether they implement any of it or not, we'll see," said Kelly.
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Jim Kelly ran the high powered K-Gun offense for the Bills back in the early 90's and it was a very dangerous scheme. The Bills Offensive Line is full of question marks so they will protect QB Trent Edwards by running out of a shotgun formation when the situation calls for it. With the addition of Terrell Owens and Shawn Nelson the Bills are set to air it out more in 2009 than some people expect.
WAS - WR Malcolm Kelly feeling pressure
Source: Jason La Canfora, The Washington Post
Second-year wide receiver Malcolm Kelly said he's been running routes for a month, so in that sense today's organized team activity appearance wasn't anything remarkable. He's already been cutting on his knee--on which he had microfracture surgery this winter--and could have participated in last month's minicamp and OTAs, although Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato told him to take his time.
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"I guess I can say I feel the pressure," he said. "They don't really pressure me, the coaches; [it's] more me myself. It's a pride thing. You can say it isn't, but you don't want to sit there watching. ... That's what pushes me every day, kind of an ego thing." The Redskins are hoping that either Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly can develop into a starter within the next year or two.
NFL - WR Plaxico Burress gets 4 traffic charges dropped
Source: Juan Ortega and Missy Diaz , The South Florida Sun Sentinel
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that four Broward County traffic tickets have been dismissed against former New York Giants football player Plaxico Burress, who still faces another case in which he's accused of cursing several times at a sheriff's deputy, the athlete's attorney said this morning.
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Burress was accused of cussing out a female deputy, speeding, and changing lanes unsafely. These charges are nothing compared to the gun charges he's facing in a couple of weeks.
ARZ - WR Larry Fitzgerald fine after making awkward catch Monday
Source: Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic
Kent Somers, of The Arizona Republic, reports Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald was OK after making an awkward catch during practice Monday, June 1.
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Fitzgerald did a split as he landed, his legs twisting as they went in opposite directions. He walked away gingerly with head athletic trainer Tom Reed at his side, but was able to return to action later in the practice. Whew! Larry Fitzgerald owners can breathe a sigh of relief.
JAC - Jaguars working on Wildcat Monday
Source: Paul Kuharsky, ESPN.com
Paul Kuharsky, of ESPN.com, reports the Jacksonville Jaguars practiced in the Wildcat formation during their organized team activity Monday, June 1.
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QB David Garrard lined up at wide receiver while RB Maurice Jones-Drew behind center in the shotgun. It seems like every team in the league is going to run - or at least have the option to run - the Wildcat. Jones-Drew could break a few long runs out of the formation the same way that Ronnie Brown did when the Dolphins unveiled their version of the Wildcat.
DET - WR Calvin Johnson absent from OTA Monday
Source: Nicholas J. Cotsonika, The Detroit Free Press
Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson was not present during the Lions' organized team activity Monday, June 1, because he was tending to a personal matter.
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Head coach Jim Schwartz said nothing was wrong as the workouts are all voluntary at this point.
DEF - NYG - DE Osi Umenyiora practices Monday
Source: Ralph Vacchiano, The New York Daily News
Ralph Vacchiano, of the New York Daily News, reports New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) participated in practice Monday, June 1, and showed no signs of favoring his knee.
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Umenyiora said his knee feels good, but he is not in game shape yet. '(The knee) feels good right now. It feels great. But football shape is different than regular shape. Even out there today, after we ran like three plays, I was like 'Man ...' I felt it a little bit. And I've been running. I felt like I was in good shape before. But football shape is totally different. You can't simulate that,' Umenyiora said.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading.
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