Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 66 (Wednesday, June 24th)

Hi Folks,

Good Thursday to you. Big day here as we've got a brand new set of detailed stat projections ready for you, along with a lot of new expert rankings. And a slew of new Player Spotlights where we drill way down deep to focus on a player. Plus a new podcast as well as plenty of the News and Notes you've come to expect from us. Let's get to it.

J

SITE NEWS

A. New Projections
Once again, we've got a brand new set of detailed stat projections ready for you. We'll continue to update and tweak these numbers as news dictates and situations / players change. Why draft based on projections that are six weeks old when you can get our numbers that are based on the situation as it stands today?

B. Expert Rankings
As always, you can view our Expert Rankings and see the most current lists for all our guys. Several of our Staff guys have new sets of rankings up for you based on the most recent happenings around the league.

C. Footballguys Podcast - The Audible - Omar Kelly from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
In This Episode: Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom interview Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Topics include - when does Chad Henne take over for Pennington, why Pat White is so dangerous, what to expect out of Ronnie Brown in 2009, plus more!

D. Spotlight - WR Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
Our Mark Wimer with a detailed look at KC WR Dwayne Bowe.

E. Spotlight - RB Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
Our Colin Dowling with a detailed look at NO RB Reggie Bush.

F. Spotlight - WR Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns
Our Jeff Pasquino with a detailed look at CLE WR Braylon Edwards.

G. Spotlight - TE Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
Our Jeff Haseley with a detailed look at ATL TE Tony Gonzalez.

H. Spotlight - WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks
Our Jeff Tefertiller with a detailed look at SEA WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

I. Spotlight - RB Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
Our Colin Dowling with a detailed look at KC RB Larry Johnson.

J. Spotlight - TE Dustin Keller, New York Jets
Our Jeff Pasquino with a detailed look at NYJ TE Dustin Keller.

K. Spotlight - QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Our Mark Wimer with a detailed look at PIT QB Ben Roethlisberger.

L. Spotlight - WR Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Our Jeff Tefertiller with a detailed look at PIT WR Hines Ward.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WAS - RB Ladell Betts drawing praise

Source: Paul Tenorio, The Washington Post

Paul Tenorio, of the Washington Post, reports that Redskins offensive coordinator Sherman Smith had high praise for backup RB Ladell Betts after OTAs. Smith said, "the guy that's been standing out to me is Ladell Betts. To me, he's stepped his game up. He's preparing like he's a starter. He's taken a leadership role, which I'm not saying he wasn't a leader before, but I just think he's a very good player. He's jumped out to me."

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Betts could be a sneaky late round pickup as it's easy to forget that helped a lot of teams win fantasy titles when Portis went down in 2006. We know he has the ability to be productive if he's given the chance, we know that he's impressed this offseason, and we know that Portis had a myriad of injuries last year and seemed to wear down as the season went on.

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DEN - RB Correll Buckhalter happy to share

Source: Lindsay Jones, The Denver Post

Lindsay Jones, of the Denver Post, reports that RB Correll Buckhalter is happy to share the load in the backfield because it preserves his body. Head coach Josh McDaniels praised Buckhalter's attitude saying, "To add a guy to our offense that is very unselfish and is going to accept whatever role he earns is great, and he's going to play his butt off." McDaniels also said he thinks Buckhalter is the fastest RB on the team.

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Knowshon Moreno owners would rather be hearing that Buckhalter is bellyaching about the team using a first round pick at his position. This will only encourage McDaniels to have an approach at running back similar to the four (and sometimes five) headed attack he used in New England last year.

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DAL - CIN QB Carson Palmer believes DAL QB Kitna can help Tony Romo

Source: Tim MacMahon, The Dallas Morning News

Tim MacMahon, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer said during a radio interview that Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo would have a big year if he listens to QB Jon Kitna this season because he can help him in several areas.

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Kitna will make a much better backup for Tony Romo than Brad Johnson did last year. Unlike Johnson, Kitna can still throw the football more than 10 yards and is looking forward to being a mentor for Romo. Last season Johnson made it clear that his job was to be the backup - not a teacher. Romo has his fair share of doubters, so we're fairly certain that he'll listen to the veteran Kitna and pick up some helpful pointers along the way.

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CIN - RB Cedric Benson ready to carry the load

Source: Carlos Holmes, The Dayton Daily News

Carlos Holmes, of The Dayton Daily News, reports Cincinnati Bengals RB Cedric Benson said he is ready to carry the load at running back for the team this season. 'No doubt, I'm ready to carry this team on my back. I'm due, hungry for it, miss it, and excited. It's good to be on a team that wants you. It's a great opportunity for me and I am definitely going to seize every moment,' Benson said. 'I plan to take full advantage of those opportunities and see where it takes us. I'm about whatever it takes to get the job done. I think I am in the best situation that I can be in and it has to happen for me here.'

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We're glad that Benson has turned his life around, and he's still a value at his current ADP, but don't expect anything better than a solid RB2 performance from him this year. He's stuck in a division with two of the toughest defenses in the league, and he has better competition for carries on the roster in the form of rookie Bernard Scott and recent acquisition Brian Leonard.

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CHI - Bears looking for QB Jay Cutler to improve play of wide receivers

Source: Larry Mayer, ChicagoBears.com

Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler said after the team's final OTA that he is 100 percent comfortable with the wide receivers the Bears have on roster. 'We're good to go,' Cutler noted. He went on to say he feels the Bears have more than enough talent to compete. The Bears are looking for Cutler to raise the level of play of the wide receivers. 'You don't win because of wide receivers. You don't win because of running backs. You win because of the quarterback,' general manager Jerry Angelo said.

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Angelo is hoping Cutler can reproduce the results he had in Denver, when a fourth round pick (Brandon Marshall) and second round pick (Eddie Royal) became one of the most productive receiver tandems in the NFL. A lot of people are looking for Cutler's college teammate Earl Bennett to raise his level of play, but keep an eye on rookies Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias, who both got a ton of praise for their performances in OTAs.

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NFL - Teams don't appear to be interested in 'new' WR Charles Rogers

Source: Tom Kowalski, Mlive.com

Tom Kowalski, of Mlive.com, reports that Charles Rogers has received no interest in his bid to get back in the NFL.

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This is possibly the final chapter in another sad case of wasted world-class talent.

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MIA - QB Pat White the fastest player on the field

Source: Omar Kelly, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Omar Kelly, from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, said in an interview on our podcast "The Audible" that Pat White was the fastest player on the practice field for the Miami Dolphins. Kelly said that White was "as fast as he needs to be" and he hasn't seen anyone catch him from behind when White gets to the open field.

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Kelly also commented how White was struggling with his accuracy throwing the football. White was called the "perfect Wildcat QB" by NFL Networks Mike Mayock, and he gives the Dolphins a playmaking threat other teams will have to gameplan for each week. Kelly doesn't anticipate White overtaking Chad Henne for the #2 job behind Chad Pennington, but he should see the field a few times a game running the Wildcat. In his rookie season Pat White may not put up many stats, but it will be exciting every time he steps onto the field.

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JAC - Jaguars looking to trade WR Dennis Northcutt

Source: Paul Kuharsky, ESPN.com

Paul Kuharsky, of ESPN.com, reports the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to trade WR Dennis Northcutt, according to his agent Jerome Stanley.

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Northcutt was the Jags best receiver at the end of last season when Matt Jones was suspended. Northcutt caught five balls for 127 yards and a touchdown in a win over Green Bay on Dec. 14, and had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in a Dec. 18 loss to Indianapolis. Despite his late season success we can't imagine a team giving up anything more than a late round pick for the veteran receiver. The Jags signed Torry Holt this offseason, and have rookies like Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard that could more than pick up the slack if Northcutt is traded/released.

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NYG - Team signs QB Rhett Bomar

Source: Michael Eisen, Giants.com

Michael Eisen, of Giants.com, reports the New York Giants have signed fifth-round draft choice QB Rhett Bomar. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Rhett Bomar is the confident, gunslinging QB that originally started his college career at Oklahoma. He was dismissed from the Sooners squad and ended up at Sam Houston State. Against lower competition he didn't put up monster numbers, but did display a quick release, decent accuracy, and the ability to throw on the run. He has a lot of moxie and swagger on the football field and knows how to lead his team during crunch time. Bomar must learn how to not force the ball into coverage and just throw it away when a play isn't there. He also needs to work on his timing and touch passes if he wants to make the most of his NFL potential. He will battle Andre Woodson for the Giants 3rd QB spot behind Eli Manning and David Carr.

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NYG - Team signs WR Ramses Barden

Source: Michael Eisen, Giants.com

Michael Eisen, of Giants.com, reports the New York Giants have signed third-round draft choice WR Ramses Barden. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Ramses Barden dominated Defensive Backs while in college at Cal Poly. He is very tall, has a long wingspan, and is deceptively fast. Barden needs to be more aggressive when the ball is in the air and have a better "my ball" mentality. He is also slow to get off the line of scrimmage and doesn't use his big frame to shield defenders away from the ball as well as he should. We're not expecting much from Barden in 2009 as he needs time to get used to the speed of the game, and become more explosive off the line. The Giants could use him effectively in the red zone as a jump-ball threat because it's difficult to defend a player his size in the endzone.

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NYG - RB Brandon Jacobs looking to lose some weight

Source: Mike Garafolo, The Newark Star-Ledger

Mike Garafolo, of the Newark Star-Ledger, reports New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs said he will try to lose some weight and get in better shape during his time off before training camp.

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Jacobs is a tough runner, and would not lose any of that trademark power if he were to drop a few pounds. The Giants will keep him fresh by rotating in other backs just like they've always done.

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DET - WR Derrick Williams misses morning practice Wednesday

Source: Tom Kowalski, MLive.com

Tom Kowalski, of MLive.com, reports Detroit Lions WR Derrick D. Williams (hamstring) did not participate in morning practice Wednesday, June 24, and may miss the remainder of the team's minicamp, according to head coach Jim Schwartz.

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Missing any practice time is detrimental for a rookie, especially one who is seen as a talented-but-raw prospect. Derrick Williams is a jack of all trades (former #1 high school db/wr in the country) but did not develop into the type of weapon that some thought he would become at Penn State. "It puts a lot of heat on him as a young player," Schwartz said of Williams. "It's hard for young players to not practice and also prepare. They've typically been the best players in high school and college and they weren't the backups, they didn't have to learn by watching other people play. But he's going to have to do that until he gets back on the field full time."

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DET - WR Bryant Johnson injured Wednesday

Source: Tom Kowalski, MLive.com

Tom Kowalski, of MLive.com, reports Detroit Lions WR Bryant Johnson (ankle) suffered an ankle sprain during morning practice Wednesday, June 24. Head coach Jim Schwartz said the injury is not serious and hopes Johnson will return soon.

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Johnson has a chance to put up decent numbers opposite superstar Calvin Johnson. With defenses focused on "Megatron" it will leave Bryant Johnson with single coverage most of the time. The Lions defense is expected to be much better, but this is a team that may have to play catch up on offense each week. This means more passing, and more production for the wide receivers. Johnson needs to stay healthy but shouldn't face much competition from Ronald Curry or rookie Derrick Williams for the #2 job.

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TEN - RB LenDale White has lost some weight

Source: Jim Wyatt, The Tennessean

Jim Wyatt, of The Tennessean, reports Tennessee Titans RB LenDale White said Tuesday, June 23, that he has trimmed down to 229 pounds. White was listed as 235 pounds last season, although he appeared heavier.

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White is looking good so far entering his contract year, but the team clearly plans on using Chris Johnson more than they did last year, and they probably won't be in position to use White as a finisher in as many games this year, so expect a drop in his fantasy production.

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DEF - CAR - DE Julius Peppers signs tender

Source: NFL.com

NFL.com reports Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers has signed his one-year, $16.7 million franchise tender offer. "Over the past few months, we have had regular communication with Carl Carey, Julius' representative, and all indications were that Julius would be signed to report to training camp," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement released by the team. "Julius obviously is a very valuable member of our team, and we look forward to the 2009 season."

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Peppers wanted to be traded if the Panthers placed the franchise tag on him, but now appears ready to line up for Carolina in 2009. "Julius is more than satisfied with the outcome and is...ready to play football," his agent Carl Carey said. Peppers had a career high 14.5 sacks last season, and should wreak havoc in Carolina once again this year.

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That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you have a great Thursday. See you tomorrow.

J