Category: Fantasy Football (Page 245 of 324)

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting that Joe Horn has become option “1A” in Dallas if Terry Glenn doesn’t agree to sign an injury settlement. Horn wants out of Atlanta and the Cowboys might be willing to give up a late round pick to acquire the aging wide out.

As usual, Horn was banged up again last year, but his lack of production was mostly because Bobby Petrino’s game plans were completely overmatched. Lining up opposite of Terrell Owens in Jason Garrett’s offense would certainly do wonders for Horn, but there’s no doubt he’s lost a step of the years and is always an injury concern.

Still, he would certainly have more of a fantasy impact in Dallas than he would in Atlanta, so monitor the situation closely as training camps get closer and closer.

It’s early, but now that Brett Favre is gone (we think), ESPN’s John Clayton says that Aaron Rodgers has had a chance to impress at practice.

As it turns out, Rodgers has a very strong arm. He’s had the strong arm since he’s been in Green Bay. The football explodes off his hand on each throw in practice. Teammates have noticed it for years because they work with or against him in practice.

He has a smooth, polished retreat from center. His feet are in good position for each throw out of three- and five-step drops.

And then you take notice. His right arm sets up naturally, and the ball comes out unnaturally fast.

“He has a cannon,” wide receiver Greg Jennings said. “We call him the ‘Human Jugs Machine.’ He throws it like a Jugs machine every time.

Aaron Rodgers has set himself aside as the team leader this offseason.

“He can make every throw on the football field, and his deep ball is one of the prettiest. Brett had a great deep ball, but Aaron has a beautiful one.”

Rodgers, despite being debated as a pick for the top of the 2005 draft, fell all the way to the Packers at No. 24. Scouts were skeptical because [Jeff] Tedford quarterbacks make slow, if not disappointing, transitions into the NFL. This is where Rodgers might have caught a break. Being Favre’s backup is like being in the witness protection program. No one sees you. No one judges you.

The time away from the limelight allowed Rodgers to make a few natural adjustments in his delivery.

“It’s really where I carried the ball,” Rodgers said. “It’s not a conscious thing. We were drilled every day at Cal to hold the ball high and were drilled in the way our arm dropped. When I got to the NFL, we weren’t doing that every day. It came up with a more natural position.”

“As that happened, my release point was able to center up a little better,” Rodgers said. “I became way more consistent with my release point. The more consistent you are with your release point, the more accurate you are.

“Coming out in the draft, my release was kind of the knock on me. I had no problem with my release point coming back down. Once it did, I felt the accuracy was back. Once I got to a more natural point, I was throwing like it was in high school.”

“Aaron has a very strong arm and really always has,” McCarthy said. “We dropped his ball carriage. He had a very high one when he came out. Now, it’s a little more fluid and that helps him transition more into the movement part of it. He’s very fundamentally strong. He’s clearly one of the better guys I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”

Who knows, maybe sitting and learning behind Favre for three years is exactly what Rodgers needed. Most quarterbacks don’t get the luxury of easing their way into the starting role, and as a result, most don’t make a very smooth transition.

Rodgers looked sharp last season when he filled in for an injured Favre in Dallas. Prior to that, he wasn’t very impressive in the snaps he got. But now that he’s “The Man,” all bets are off. It’s so difficult to follow a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and I’m sure just about everyone in Packerland is rooting for him.

According to The North Jersey Record, Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and GM Jerry Reese got in a shouting match Friday at the team’s minicamp.

Shockey remained secluded Friday, the final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp, leaving Giants Stadium before the morning practice ended. Reports later surfaced he and Reese had an animated argument, apparently over some points the tight end listed Saturday as reasons for his unrest.

One was the Giants’ insistence he watch Super Bowl XLII from co-owner Steve Tisch’s luxury box instead of from the sidelines. More important, however, was Shockey’s claim the Giants spread the rumors of his off-season unrest in hopes of drumming up trade interest.

During an appearance last Saturday at Corona Park, Shockey said the Giants “released multiple things about myself. If you look back into the media, there’s always a source. Well, I’d like to know who the source is. We’ll go over here and deal it out ourselves.”

If he figured Reese as the source, the argument might have been the “deal it out.”

This situation is going to get worse before it gets better. If he wants to be traded, Shockey is going about it the wrong way by fighting with the general manager. If he continues to speak his mind to the media, the Giants will never get fair compensation in a trade. Either way, it might be time for the G-Men to part with this headache and give Kevin Boss a shot.

Running back Cedric Benson was a no-show Monday at the Bears OTA’s. General manager Jerry Angelo said that an announcement would be made Monday afternoon regarding Benson’s “situation.”

It’s unclear whether this means the team plans to release the embattled Benson.

It’s unlikely the Bears are going to come out and throw their support behind the former No. 4 overall pick from 2005. Benson was arrested on a DUI charge in Austin, Texas early Saturday morning. Angelo expressed deep disappointment in Benson on Saturday at the team’s fan convention. Benson was arrested in Texas five weeks earlier and charged with drunk boating and resisting arrest.

It’s unclear at this point whether Benson flat out skipped the OTA session or the Bears asked him to stay home. In all likely hood, the team will release the ultimate bust and rid themselves of his off field antics and ballerina running-style. What a colossal disappointment for the Bears who yet again miss on a high first round draft pick.

Update: The Bears officially waive Benson.

The Raiders signed fourth overall pick Darren McFadden to a 6-year, $60 million contract.

McFadden, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in each of the last two seasons, will be guaranteed $26 million as the fourth pick in the draft, said his agent, Ian Greengross.

With McFadden’s deal finalized, three of the top four picks in April’s draft have already signed deals. No. 1 pick Jake Long got a $57.75 million, five-year contract with $30 million guaranteed from Miami and third pick Matt Ryan got a $72 million, six-year contract with $34.75 million guaranteed from Atlanta.

Outside of high school baseball prospects making millions from MLB clubs from time to time, there’s nothing more ridiculous than NFL teams giving $34.75, $30 or $26 million in guarantees to rookies who haven’t played even one down of professional football.

What if Long, Ryan or McFadden don’t pan out? It’ll probably mean we’ll see the Dolphins, Falcons and Raiders drafting in the top five again real soon and the perpetual cycle will continue. A rookie cap would be incredibly beneficial for all teams.