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Bye Weeks: Detroit, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Oakland

Who will be the big play wide receivers in week five? Atlanta has shown to have the best duo at wide receiver. A big reason for that is because of Hakeem Nicks injury woes. Denver though is quietly having a tandem of their own succeed in Eric Decker and DeMaryius Thomas.

Will Greg Jennings get back on the field soon enough to get the Packers passing attack back in the top ranks? That remains to be seen but here are week five’s wide receiver rankings based on matchups.

1. Roddy White
2. AJ Green
3. Larry Fitzgerald
4. Andre Johnson
5. DeMaryius Thomas
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Jordy Nelson
8. DeSean Jackson
9. Torrey Smith
10. Victor Cruz
11. Wes Welker
12. Julio Jones
13. Mike Wallace
14. Eric Decker
15. Michael Crabtree
16. Anquan Boldin
17. Dwayne Bowe
18. Steve Smith
19. Reggie Wayne
20. Antonio Brown
21. Brandon Lloyd
22. Pierre Garcon
23. Marques Colston
24. Brian Hartline
25. Percy Harvin
26. Justin Blackmon
27. Sidney Rice
28. Danny Amendola
29. Malcolm Floyd
30. Ramses Barden
31. James Jones
32. Jeremy Maclin
33. Lance Moore
34. Alshon Jeffrey
35. Leonard Hankerson
36. Davone Bess
37. Kevin Walter
38. Andre Roberts
39. Nate Washington
40. Brandon Lafell
41. Andrew Hawkins
42. Greg Little
43. Donnie Avery
44. Jerome Simpson
45. Randy Moss
46. Chaz Schilens
47. Robert Meachem
48. Donald Jones
49. Jon Baldwin
50. Kendall Wright

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Hut, hut, when that quarterback receives the hike, he is not turning to hand that football off as much as ten years ago. It’s a fast past league now, and in order to do that successfully with points on the board, it needs to come through the air. Here is the first installment of wide receiver rankings heading into the last week of preseason.

1. Calvin Johnson- Speed, height, freakish athleticism, and can out jump anyone in the secondary. Randy Moss when he had Randall Cunningham, except Johnson possesses better ability in crowds to corral the football.

2. Larry Fitzgerald- People want to lower his ranking based on the Cardinals quarterback situation. Just look at Fitz’s last two seasons and he still has flourished with poor quarterbacks. John Skelton and Kevin Kolb both performed last year. Whoever wins the job is going to perform better than a year ago. Fitz is the hardest working player in the game, and will continue to produce no matter who is throwing the football.

3. Brandon Marshall- Awfully high you say. Marshall has had the quietest off-season in recent memory. No antics in practice, selfish pouting, or off the field issues. He is revived with his old quarterback, and on an offense that should be potent. Behind Johnson, Marshall is the best height to speed receiver in the league. His Pro Bowl performance was not a fluke, and he will be targeted by Jay Cutler early and often.

4. Roddy White- Everyone is talking about last years quarterback class and this year quarterback class. Refocus back to Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan. Both seem ready to bust out the gate and have career years. Why not? Roddy White is an outstanding receiver. With Ryan gaining confidence White could have a Victor Cruz type of year from 2011.

5. Steve Smith- Too high again you may think. Smith is the Hines Ward of receivers nowadays. He has the tenacity and toughness and is just a competitor on every play. Cam Newton is going to progress and that means more deep balls to Smith. He will shine in consecutive years with Newton.

6. AJ Green- Last year in the beginning of the season everyone was wowed by Andy Dalton’s readiness for the NFL. The pinpoint answer to that was AJ Green. He got behind teams secondaries with such ease that even Tim Tebow could of hit him. With an off-season to sharpen his route running and add some weight to his frame, Green should be a gold mine for fantasy owners once again.

7. Andre Johnson- It’s always worrisome when an athlete starts a trend with injuries. Will they go away? Johnson would likely be ranked second if it were not for his history. Even if he plays twelve to thirteen games he has the capability of putting together a top fifteen fantasy season. Houston is a team that’s primed to supplant the New England Patriots. In order to do so they’ll need Johnson all season.

8. Eric Decker- He is just the perfect type of receiver for Peyton Manning. Last year reports were that Decker was shining in practice. With the Tebow offense of a year ago, DeMaryius Thomas was the main guy because of his height. Quick throws were easy for him to corral in, and risky throws were to his advantage as well with his size. Decker though can run the type of routes that meshes with veteran Peyton Manning. Connections with Manning have always produced great fantasy seasons. Marvin Harrison, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Reggie Wayne, etc. The type of preseason Decker has had it’s a no brainer that it will continue in the regular season.

9. Torrey Smith- I profiled in an article a few weeks ago that Joe Flacco is ready for his breakout season. Lets face it, the Baltimore passing offense has been pedestrian every season. There one of the few teams that likes to run the ball continuously and rely on their defense. Their defense is aging and the Ravens know come playoff time, they’re going to need to score points to advance. Even with Baltimore’s toned down offense it still has been fantasy friendly for receivers. Imagine this season with more targets his way what Smith is going to do.

10. Wes Welker- Brandon Lloyd is going to hurt Welker’s value a bunch. Josh McDaniels has a chemistry with Lloyd and that will transfer over to play calling and on the field results. Not to mention that Tom Brady is going to continue eyeballing his dynamic tight end duo. Expect for Welker to be a high yardage guy and low touchdown performer ala Keenan McCardell. He is ranked this high now based on last season and not going to crazy on lowering him. I expect him to be a high teen receiver by the end of the season.

11. Jordy Nelson
12. DeSean Jackson
13. Hakeem Nicks
14. Greg Jennings
15. Victor Cruz
16. Stevie Johnson
17. Mike Wallace
18. Julio Jones
19. Dez Bryant
20. Marques Colston
21. Dwayne Bowe
22. Vincent Jackson
23. Justin Blackmon
24. Jeremy Maclin
25. Reggie Wayne
26. Anquan Boldin
27. Brandon Lloyd
28. Antonio Brown
29. Miles Austin
30. Percy Harvin
31. Santonio Holmes
32. Kenny Britt
33. Darrius Heyward-Bey
34. Michael Crabtree
35. Malcolm Floyd
36. Davone Bess
37. Lance Moore
38. Mike Williams
39. Pierre Garcon
40. Sidney Rice
41. Santana Moss
42. Robert Meachem
43. Randy Moss
44. Brandon Lafell
45. Demaryius Thomas
46. Kendall Wright
47. David Nelson
48. Titus Young
49. James Jones
50. Nate Washington
51. Austin Collie
52. Jonathan Baldwin
53. Stephen Hill
54. Greg Little
55. Laurent Robinson
56. Danny Amendola
57. Denarius Moore
58. Nate Burleson
59. Michael Floyd
60. Brian Hartline

notjustagame23@gmail.com

If you own a police scanner in the NFL off-season you can roam the frequencies and like catching a fish you’re bound to hear about an NFL player getting arrested. Years ago media outlets would drag out initial reports on just about any athlete. Now it’s usually just a headline flasher and quick part of the news and notes segment.

It’s too common these days and NFL teams typically have run out of patience with athletes and arrests. Roger Goodell has a strict policy in place, and teams have clauses to protect themselves now. In certain instances though, athletes with high potential still outweigh waiting for the athlete to stack more newsworthy issues or live out his contract.

Dallas of the 1990’s know all too well about off the field issues with players. The organization took a proactive route and told Bryant not only do we employ you at the practice facilities, but were going to enlist a set of rules for you to abide to off the field. No more saying if you’re in an instance and need help, here is an immediate contact number. Bryant’s shown that he is still immature and needs the guidance of the organization to prevent him from straying into trouble.

The list of things Dallas has put into place is not abnormal. Rules such as not going to strip clubs or clubs is promoted by head coaches especially in training camp. Young athletes that think they’re invincible though and can not avoid their old friends egging them on, are going to continually get themselves put in ominous positions. The area that lets Cowboys fans know that Dallas is backing Bryant is by having full time security surround him.

Security is often looked at as preventing danger in front of bevies of people. The three security staff members that will surround Bryant though will do much more than that. They’ll develop a bond with Bryant and partake in many conversations with Bryant. Over time this will be more beneficial than any of the team rules listed on Bryant. The support of those guys around him all the time should finally develop the maturity people are seeking from Bryant.

Barring injury, this type of news boosts Bryant’s fantasy worth. Miles Austin’s hamstrings are red flags of an ongoing issue that will either limit his production or eventually cause him to miss more time in the regular season. Dallas is not going to slow down it’s passing game, and Bryant will be the main threat that benefits from this. His physical tools and youth are the reasons why he is still sporting a Cowboys uniform, and not on his way to the Cincinnati Bengals.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The preseason is mainly a gauge for the team to analyze depth and workout kinks on the offense and defensive side of the football. While holes filled in special teams and proper depth position is an annual routine, there is another area coaches are looking to develop. Drafted rookies usually get a high percentage of looks and opportunities. Confidence in the preseason from rookies often will carry over to the regular season.

Cardinals rookie wide receiver Michael Floyd is not necessarily lighting up the statistics. In the hall of fame game he caught one ball for fifteen yards, followed up by week one of the preseason with a catch for three yards, zero catches week two, and last night two catches for sixteen yards. Fellow rookies, Kendall Wright and Justin Blackmon on the other hand have had high success and look much more ready to have a fantasy impact out the gate.

Fantasy owners are having a hard enough time figuring out where to rank Larry Fitzgerald in standard drafts, and how much to bid on him in auction drafts. Fitz has put up statistics though throughout his career with Max Hall, Matt Leinart, and both Skelton and Kolb. His statistics actually jumped with Skelton over Kolb last season, but both will get him the football.

A bright side to the fact that Floyd has had dismal preseason numbers is a breakdown of the Cardinals embarrassing quarterback battle. Before Kolb’s performance last night, neither Skelton or Kolb had thrown over the mid 30’s for yardage in the preseason. That’s correct, and this is coming from two guys competing for a starting job. You might not find another team in the NFL that’s had these type of preseason performances just with their backup quarterbacks.

There were some good things pointed out by the ESPN crew on what the Cardinals can do to move forward with the offense. Kevin Kolb is use to the quick pace from when he was in Houston. When Arizona used the hurry up offense he seemed to have a better grasp of the offense, and the team as a whole responded better. It may be just what he needs to get out of the funk he is in.

The Cardinals are going to have to announce the starter here in the next three to five days. Skelton was the favorite going into week three’s preseason game, but Kolb did outperform him Thursday. This could be a hot potato affair which Cardinals fans have become accustomed to since the Kurt Warner days.

That spells trouble for rookie Michael Floyd. If the Cardinals have any success offensively it will likely come through the ground attack. Touchdowns thrown through the air will be gobbled up by Larry Fitzgerald. Expecting either Kolb or Skelton to throw over twenty touchdowns even with sixteen games as a starter would be exceeding expectations.

Those hoping for Floyd to be a rookie sleeper better look the other way at Kendall Wright and Justin Blackmon. Floyd will have the worst numbers of the three, and should not be on any fantasy roster this season. Larry Fitzgerald is the only one worth eyeing, unless Kevin Kolb shows back to back games like his three games in Philadelphia than. Rookies like Floyd may scatter and tease you with a game or two here and there. The inconsistencies and headaches of knowing when that will occur will drive an owner crazy. Spare yourself.

By Zack Cimini

Arrogance and cockiness go hand in hand with the elite players in sports. Most can tone it down to keep the view of the audience oblivious to a players actions. Whether its yapping of the mouth to the opposing team, or basic body language. DeSean Jackson has never been one to tone down his talents.

He has high stepped the last ten yards of touchdowns, ran twenty yards sideways inside the five yard line on a punt return touchdown against the Giants, and flipped the football before the end zone against the Cowboys on Monday Night football. Those are just a few of Jackson’s antics that have been just a natural part of his on-the-field demeanor.

At points in a professional athletes career humbling times occur. Last year for the Eagles was an eye opener, as a team and an individual level for DeSean Jackson. Playing as a franchise tagged athlete, Jackson had the type of numbers that would make a team let the athlete walk away. The team seemed to fold as he did, and never had any type of consistency. Jackson has admitted he did not play at his highest levels a year ago. Based on the Eagles play he likely was not the only one.

The Eagles know and the NFL knows that Jackson is a gem of a talent. Still only 25, Jackson seems like he has been in the league much longer. He played in the latter last hooray for Donovan McNabb in which he first became the deep threat people know of today. Against the Cardinals in the 2009 NFC Championship, Jackson made one of the best catches for a touchdown in recent playoff memories.

He has been through the short lived Kevin Kolb era, and now entering his third season with Mike Vick.

Maturity seemed to start to hit Jackson as the Eagles season imploded last year, and he realized his future could be in jeopardy. His contract could have been much higher than what he received in the off-season. Only 18 million of it is guaranteed, which means Jackson is going to have to earn the rest of the mid 50 million dollar contract.

Maybe watching greats just when he was a rookie like Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, and Terrell Owens struggle to find jobs suddenly and fade so quickly awoken him.

Media circles our stating Jackson seems like a new person, and much more focused. Philadelphia has one of the top defenses in the NFL, Mike Vick, and LeSean McCoy. The difference though will be with Jackson. Jackson’s open field speed and ability to get open just creates that extra dimension teams can’t stop.

The focus will always be on Vick because of his history and being the quarterback. In many rankings, Jackson can be found in the late teens and even early twenties. That is much too low for a player of Jackson’s caliber. I expect a breakout year from him, and to be a top ten fantasy receiver this season, and top five in a handful of weeks this year.

He never has been a top fantasy receiver, but has been one of the top open field and speed receivers in the NFL. Sooner or later that should lead to a breakout year, which will be this season.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Miami’s HBO series of Hard Knocks just had some drama enter, and it’s not from the quarterback battle. Chad Johnson who was expected to revive and have a turn around season, has been released from the team. In similar fashion as in New England, Johnson did little to nothing as a Dolphin. In one preseason game he had one dropped ball.

This has more to do with an off the field issue than Johnson’s performance on the field, but the Dolphins have moved on to a new chapter. Now it leaves the opportunity open for other receivers to shine even more.

The fact that Miami could go through three quarterbacks this season is a big enough reason to stir clear from talent. Even with Chad Henne and Matt Moore last season, Miami’s offense was not too shabby. The offense should bolster even more with head coach Tony Sparano gone and new head coach, Joe Philbin in. Miami seemed to end the season well with great use of Reggie Bush and quick hit throws with Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.

Chad Johnson was the big name amongst the receivers, but was not necessarily a sure fire result producer. Davone Bess has put together a nice string of seasons for Miami, and now is their number one receiver with Brandon Marshall gone. It’ll be seen early if Bess can handle the role or if Miami will need to use spread formations to make up for lacking a big play receiver.

Legedu Naanee currently has the third receiver position now with Johnson gone. Naanee is who he is, and can fill the third spot decently. By no means is he a sleeper wide receiver. If anything with Miami’s current top slotted receivers only Davone Bess has value. Rank Miami with the Seattle’s and St. Louis’s of fantasy football as they’re lost in the Bermuda triangle for fantasy value at receiver.

Maybe if an injury occurs and Ryan Tannehill enters by midseason a receiver buried could advance to a different level. Often times receivers develop that do not get many reps with the first team develop chemistry better with the backup quarterbacks. There won’t be a Victor Cruz on Miami but it’s worth keeping an eye on once Tannehill is inserted.

If there is an area where Miami will shine it may be with pass catching running backs. From Reggie Bush all the way to Steve Slaton Miami has four backs that could all be effective. Slaton was once a 1,000 yard rusher in Houston and likely will be a special teamer for Miami. Daniel Thomas and rookie Lamar Miller figure to get carries in some form even with how Reggie Bush concluded last season. Splitting out one while having another behind the quarterback could be a tinker they play with on many formations.