Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 46 (Thursday, June 4th)
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Hi Folks,
Welcome to Friday. It's full speed ahead here at Footballguys as we have a ton of things working for you. The Rate My Team App is running wide open and we've been getting some really nice feedback on the FREE 2009 Strategy Guide Magazine. I'm glad you're enjoying. Now can I ask you for some help? The vision David and I have always had for Footballguys was making it the most effective resource out there for helping folks Dominate Their League. I feel OK with how we've progressed toward that goal so far. But this year, it feels like we're at that "tipping point" where things are just about to break loose. If you're happy with where we are now, you're going to love where we want to go. I want us doing even more. And I want us doing what we're doing now to be significantly better. We do that by spending lots more money on content and technology. We do it by bringing Staff guys that are working at Footballguys part time into the fold full time where they can devote all their working time to Footballguys. We do that in a hundred different ways improving on the product and making it better. What this means to you is that we make Footballguys better than ever for you. But the key to all of that is growth. It costs money to buy these things. The two options are to raise the subscription price. Or add more subscribers. I think everyone prefers the add more subscriber approach. But to do that, we need your help. Over the next few days, I'm going to be asking for your feedback and help on some specific things you can do to help Footballguys spread the word. I know years ago when we were just getting started, many folks thought they could keep Footballguys a secret. Those days are long gone. If the guys in your league are online, Footballguys isn't a secret anymore. Where we need your help is helping turn those casual viewers into subscribers so we can grow this thing and make it all you want it to be. Be chewing on that one and I'll have more for you soon on this. In the meantime, let's get to the News and Notes. Plus remember our FREE 2009 Footballguys Strategy Guide magazine. Have a great Friday. Let's get to it. JSITE NEWS
A.
2009 Footballguys Strategy Guide Magazine - FREE
David and I have decided to produce our Footballguys 2009 Strategy Guide Magazine in a pdf that you can download online instead of printing the magazine and selling from the newsstand. The price to download this pdf online? NONE. NADA. ZIP. As in FREE. The magazine that we would have normally written in May, printed in June and put on the newsstand in July is now available to you on June 5th. For FREE. We figured if we were going to write the magazine in June, we might as well make it available to you as soon as we finished writing it. Pretty much like we do everything else. It's not conventional wisdom to give away a product we used to charge $8 bucks for. But we know things are tight out there. Call it our Footballguys Stimulus Package. You get the 2009 Footballguys Magazine for FREE. Then you take it from there. Check out the link in the headline. Let us know what you think. Share it with your friends if you really want to help us. But mostly, enjoy.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. PHI - RB Brian Westbrook surgery not minor per source2. CLE - QB competition to go into preseason games
3. PIT - QB Ben Roethlisberger able to practice Thursday
4. CHI - RB Matt Forte was scheduled for MRI
5. CHI - WR Earl Bennett projected to start
6. PHI - SI's Peter King believes RB Brian Westbrook to be ready by opener
7. OAK - WR Heyward-Bey expects to practice soon
8. DAL - Rookie QB Stephen McGee impressing
9. CHI - WR Johnny Knox excelling in in OTAs
10. WAS - WR Malcom Kelly limited as a precaution Thursday
11. DEN - HC McDaniels impressed with FB Peyton Hillis
12. MIN - RB Adrian Peterson absent from OTA Thursday
13. BAL - TE Davon Drew signed
14. CLE - RB Jerome Harrison could see time on early downs
15. CLE - RB Josh Cribbs working on quick passes
16. TB - QB Byron Leftwich sheds some weight
17. DEF - JAC - DT John Henderson practices Thursday
18. DEF - ARZ - SS Adrian Wilson agrees to new contract
19. DEF - WAS - SS LaRon Landry absent and not returning calls
PHI - RB Brian Westbrook surgery not minor per source
Source: Bob Brookover, Philly.com
The surgery Brian Westbrook will undergo tomorrow morning in Baltimore is a serious procedure, according to a source close to the situation.
"I'm just concerned that it is being underplayed," the source said. "It's a lot more than a little spur and it's much more than the knee arthroscopy he had (in February)."[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
This is what we said yesterday. Westbrook's agent, Todd France said the procedure was "minor". But as I said, agents are paid to minimize bad news. Brookover writes today that his sources seem to think the surgery is not minor. We'll know more here soon after surgery, but the word right now for Westbrook is caution.
CLE - QB competition to go into preseason games
Source: Tony Grossi, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini said he will not decide on whether QB Brady Quinn or QB Derek Anderson will be the starting quarterback until well into the preseason schedule.
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Mangini said he is looking for the starter to be a presence in the huddle and to be able to effectively run the offense. August 29th is the Browns 3rd preseason game of the year and we will likely not hear a starter named for the regular season until after that contest.
PIT - QB Ben Roethlisberger able to practice Thursday
Source: Ed Bouchette, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Updating a previous report, Ed Bouchette, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee) wore a black wrap around his knee during practice Thursday, June 4, but that was the only evidence of any type of injury.
[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
Roethlisberger was able to stretch with his teammates before practice and work with the first-team offense. Neither head coach Mike Tomlin nor Roethlisberger would comment on what happened to the quarterback's knee. The injury occurred when Roethlisberger and Willie Parker banged knees in practice.
CHI - RB Matt Forte was scheduled for MRI
Source: Vaughn McClure, The Chicago Tribune
Vaughn McClure, of the Chicago Tribune, reports Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte (leg) was scheduled to undergo an MRI Thursday, June 4, but the team would not confirm that the procedure was performed.
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Via his Twitter account Forte stated that he would be "good" hours after the injury. In his absence, Kevin Jones ran with the 1st team in practice.
CHI - WR Earl Bennett projected to start
Source: Brad Biggs, The Chicago Sun-Times
Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears WR Earl Bennett is projected to start at wide receiver opposite WR Devin Hester.
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Earl Bennett is a guy you're going to hear me talk about all summer. I like him a lot. Bennett was Jay Cutler's favorite target at Vanderbilt and they have great chemistry on the field. While Hester should stretch the defense with his deep speed Bennett will be working the short and underneath routes. Bennett runs sharp, precise routes and knows how to get open with his quick feet. If the Bears sign Plaxico Burress it would most likely be Bennett and not Hester that would be bumped out of the starting lineup.
PHI - SI's Peter King believes RB Brian Westbrook to be ready by opener
Source: Peter King, SI.com
Peter King, of SI.com, reports on his Twitter page that Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook (ankle) will not get much contact during training camp, but the team believes he will be ready for the first game of the season.
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Westbrook's fantasy value has taken a big hit over the last 24 hours. If you believe that he'll stay healthy in 2009 (and not get off to a slow start) you'll most likely get him as a value pick. Make sure and handcuff LeSean McCoy to Westy in case he isn't able to stay healthy this season.
OAK - WR Heyward-Bey expects to practice soon
Source: David White, The San Francisco Chronicle
David White, of the San Francisco Chronicle, reports Oakland Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (hamstring) said he expects to return to practice next week.
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"There's some soreness in there," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "We don't want to chance it so we're going to leave it alone. His learning is good. He's a very bright guy, but that doesn't ever account for the reps that are needed. So we'll get him back to work next week." Heyward-Bey wants to outshine fellow rookie WR Michael Crabtree who is playing across the bay in San Francisco.
DAL - Rookie QB Stephen McGee impressing
Source: Tim McMahon, The Dallas Morning News
Tim McMahon from the Dallas Morning News reports he saw more of fourth-round QB Stephen McGee than in the other media-access OTA workouts combined. McGee showed his mobility and arm strength by avoiding the rush and firing a bullet over the middle to TE Scott Chandler. He also hit Witten with a rope on a 15-yard out.
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McGee ran both a pro-style offense and the option while at Texas A&M, and some thought he would have to switch to Safety in the NFL. It was at the Shrine Game where McGee muted all that talk. McGee is very athletic and mobile, but waits until the last possible second before he takes off to run. He keeps his eyes downfield when scrambling so he can throw the ball if necessary. His deep accuracy needs some work and the Cowboys will bring him along slowly as the 3rd QB behind Tony Romo and Jon Kitna. If he develops as planned the Cowboys could have their QB of the future in Stephen McGee.
CHI - WR Johnny Knox excelling in in OTAs
Source: Bob LeGere, The Daily Herald
Bob LeGere, from the Daily Herald, reports that based on early returns in OTA's, this year's top Bears rookie has been wide receiver Johnny Knox, the fifth-round pick from Abilene Christian.
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Knox, who is arguably the fastest player on the field, has shown sticky fingers in almost every practice, catching anything within his grasp and rarely having a bobble let alone a drop. Knox has crazy body control and can twist and contort his body to make nearly any catch. Rashied Davis' time as the starting slot receiver in Chicago could be coming to a close because of the talented rookie.
WAS - WR Malcom Kelly limited as a precaution Thursday
Source: Ryan O'Halloran, The Washington Times
Ryan O'Halloran, of The Washington Times, reports Washington Redskins WR Malcolm Kelly (knee) was able to make it through all four practices this week, but he was limited as a precaution Thursday, June 4.
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Head coach Jim Zorn said, "He's practiced hard and been explosive every day. He's learning some of the elementary things that had he been able to go the whole year [last season], he would have down as second nature. The best thing for us is that he participated every day. We want to be smart with what he's doing. He'll be practicing next week as he was this week."
DEN - HC McDaniels impressed with FB Peyton Hillis
Source: Zach Eisendrath, DenverBroncos.com
Zach Eisendrath, of DenverBroncos.com, reports Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said he has been impressed with FB Peyton Hillis so far this offseason.
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'He's got great hands, he's got a great feel for the passing game and he's a very tough runner when you give him the ball. He'll do a lot of different things for us,' McDaniels said. 'We tell our players they all create their own roles and he's certainly done a good job of taking what we're giving him and doing it very well.' Knowshon Moreno is set to be the Broncos feature back and is a fantastic receiver as well. The Broncos could line up both Hillis and Moreno in the backfield at the same time on passing downs.
MIN - RB Adrian Peterson absent from OTA Thursday
Source: Sean Jensen, The St. Paul Pioneer Press
Sean Jensen, of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reports Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was not present during the team's organized team activity Thursday, June 4, according to head coach Brad Childress.
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When asked if Peterson and Taylor would be at the OTA next week, Childress said, "We'll see. They have surprised me back and forth when they are in and out."
Source: Jamison Hensley, The Baltimore Sun
Jamison Hensley, of The Baltimore Sun, reports the Baltimore Ravens have signed fifth-round draft choice TE Davon Drew. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
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Drew, a converted QB from East Carolina, has only been playing the position of TE for 2 years but has drawn rave reviews in OTAs. We're not expecting much out of him this year, unless L.J. Smith or Todd Heap goes down with an injury. That is a possibility given the injury history of those two players.
CLE - RB Jerome Harrison could see time on early downs
Source: Tony Grossi, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini has hinted that RB Jerome Harrison could see more playing time on first and second down this season to help keep RB Jamal Lewis fresh.
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We reported on this a couple of days ago, and it's worth noting that there is a lot of "buzz" around Jerome Harrison in Cleveland. Harrison will never be known as a between the tackles runner, but he is very dangerous in space and an effective receiver out of the backfield. The Browns may fall behind early, and if that happens Jamal Lewis is virtually a non-factor. We don't see Harrison being more productive than Lewis, but he is a nice handcuff player that could pay dividends later in the season.
CLE - RB Josh Cribbs working on quick passes
Source: Steve Doerschuk, The Canton Repository
Steve Doerschuk, of the Canton Repository, reports Cleveland Browns WR Josh Cribbs is getting a lot of work with quick passes during practice so he can use his ability to gain yards with the ball in his hands.
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This makes a lot of sense. Cribbs is dangerous with the ball in his hands, so why not get the ball to him as quickly as possible? He is very elusive in motion and is strong enough to run through arm tackles. While Cribbs may never develop into a polished wideout he can still be an effective receiver if used correctly.
TB - QB Byron Leftwich sheds some weight
Source: Greg Auman, The St. Petersburg Times
Greg Auman, of St. Petersburg Times, reports Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Byron Leftwich said he has lost at least 10 pounds this offseason and credits the weight loss to being healthy during the offseason for the first time in several years.
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Byron Leftwich is still one of the 32 best QBs in this league even though he hasn't been a regular starter since his days in Jacksonville. At this time he is ahead of Luke McCown on the depth chart although the two will compete for the starting job all the way through August. The Bucs look like they are going to bring along rookie QB Josh Freeman slowly.
DEF - JAC - DT John Henderson practices Thursday
Source: Vic Ketchman, Jaguars.com
Vic Ketchman, of Jaguars.com, reports Jacksonville Jaguars DT John Henderson (shoulder) participated in practice Thursday, June 4.
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Del Rio was critical on Tuesday of Henderson taking himself out of drills. The coach didn't mince words in describing his disappointment that one of his top defensive players declined to practice. Henderson said he talked to head coach Jack Del Rio about the coach's comments and everything is fine now.
DEF - ARZ - SS Adrian Wilson agrees to new contract
Source: Darren Urban, AZCardinals.com
Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to terms on a new five-year contract with SS Adrian Wilson that will run through the 2013 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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Next up Karlos Dansby, and after that - maybe, just maybe - it's Anquan Boldin's turn. Wilson will get his wish and finish his career as a Cardinal. He commented earlier in the year on a most important attribute - patience. "The greatest sacrifice is patience," Wilson said in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. "I think it really defines you. It defines your character. Just being able to stick through something, not always jump ship when things go bad, I think it speaks volumes."
DEF - WAS - SS LaRon Landry absent and not returning calls
Source: Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post
Barry Svrluga, of The Washington Post, reports Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn said SS LaRon Landry, who has be absent from the team's recent offseason workouts, has not been answering phone calls or returning text messages.
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'I think it's disappointing to his teammates as well,' Zorn said. 'But he's going to be ready. I fully expect him to be ready in training camp and go hard and have a great year. I'm not as concerned about him missing as just being a part of what his teammates are doing and the kind of stuff we're trying to implement here. He's going to be set back a little bit because of maybe a new concept here or there, but he's a tremendous athlete, and I think he'll be a good teammate.' Isn't this how the Jay Cutler drama started in Denver? LaRon should answer the phone or - at the very least - return a text message.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and have a great Friday.
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