Category Archives: Rookies

FFS Staffers Favorite Teams Draft Reviews

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The NFL Draft is fading into a memory, but it’s still the only thing pure NFL fans have to talk about in regards to their favorite team. After all, we can only sit and wait so long for the 8th circuit to rule on whether to lift the lockout and force the owners to allow the players back into the facilities and start the actual season, or uphold the lockout and continue to make this fiasco between the two sides last well into summer.

So the Draft is all we really have to talk about.

First round picks for the Chargers, 49ers, Cardinals, and Rams all are expected to help immediately

With that in mind, the staff at FantasyFootballStarters.com each took the time to analyze their own favorite NFL team’s draft selections and give their thoughts on whether that team had a good draft, or left them wondering what the heck happened.

Jeff Coruccini is the President and CEO of FFS and loves the San Francisco 49ers. In his 49ers 2011 draft review Jeff talks about how he, unlike some other 49ers fans, liked the selection of DE Aldon Smith with the 7th overall pick, thinks RB Kendall Hunter was an exciting pick, and WR Ronald Johnson could be someone to keep an eye on.

Dana Valentine is a Fantasy Football Analyst and bleeds Arizona Cardinals red and never misses a training camp. In his Cardinals 2011 draft review Dana explains why he thinks the Cardinals really helped their defense out by taking quality players like CB Patrick Peterson, OLB Sam Acho, and ILB Quan Sturdivant, but he isn’t so sure they should have used their 3rd round selection on TE Rob Housler.

Brady Chatfield is the Chief Marketing Officer for FFS and has suffered watching his beloved San Diego Chargers get so close to making it to a Super Bowl only to come up short. Now the Chargers look to just get to the top of their division and in his Chargers 2011 draft review, he questions whether the team reached for OLB Jonas Mouten in round 2, but likes that the team added some young DB’s in Marcus Gilchrist and Shareece Wright as the secondary needs an infusion of youth.

I am the lone St. Louis Rams fan on the staff. My allegiance to the Rams goes way back to their days in Los Angeles when the Fearsome Foursome terrorized opposing QB’s. In my Rams 2011 draft review I express my frustration with what the Rams did. I liked the Robert Quinn, I really struggled watching the Rams waste selections on a TE and 2 WR’s in rounds 2-4 when they could have gotten better players and also addressed positions of need. I could be wrong, but I think this draft was a wasted opportunity for the Rams and the selection of TE Lance Kendricks in round 2 caused a domino effect that they never recovered from the rest of the draft.

And of course, each of knows that you can’t really grade a draft for a few years as you simply never know whether great college player will be successful, or become a dud, in the NFL. Same thing for those players who aren’t highly thought of, or had mediocre college careers: they might turn out to be to be exceptional NFL players.

But as fans of these teams, each of us has initial thoughts of the picks each team made.

4 Rookie QB’s Starting in 2011?

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Have to say I was surprised at a couple of the choices in the 2011 NFL Draft, especially the early round QB’s. It wasn’t a great stretch to know that the Carolina Panthers were taking Cam Newton #1 overall, but for Blaine Gabbert to not be the second QB selected, or that Jake Locker would be the second QB taken, was a big surprise. It was also very surprising to see the Vikings tab Christian Ponder with the 12th pick. I know there are a lot of reports saying how so many teams were trying to trade back into the first round to snag Ponder, but no one moved into round 1 to take Andy Dalton (another hot commodity according to many) and he fell squarely into the Bengals’ lap in round 2. Colin Kaepernick ended up with San Francisco (a real good place for him) and the New England Patriots just couldn’t let the value of Ryan Mallett pass them by in round 3. And when the fantasy football rankings from the draft analyzer come out, it will be interesting to see where some of these names end up being placed.

In the cases of Gabbert, Kaepernick, and Mallett, there is no pressure to start the rookie QB’s as those teams have a starting QB already (I am assuming the 49ers will bring back Alex Smith and let Jim Harbaugh have one crack with him).

But in the other cases, did these teams make the right call in how they addressed their 2011 QB situation? There’s an excellent chance that at least 3, and likely all 4 of the rookies will end up the week one starter.

For Carolina, there simply is no other choice. Newton has to start over Jimmy Clausen even if Newton is really not ready for the complexities of the pro game. You can’t spend the #1 pick on a QB like Newton and then have him sit in favor of last year’s rookie disaster.

Tennessee is under severe scrutiny for selecting Jake Locker and passing on Blaine Gabbert in the NFL Draft

In Tennessee, Locker is very likely going to start week one. Kerry Collins is a free agent and there are no other options. The Titans are counting on Locker developing accuracy as they took a huge gamble in selecting him over Blaine Gabbert. Leadership is a great quality, but QB’s need to be accurate too. Does no good to inspire someone to run a 15 yard out route and then miss him half the time. I really think the Titans took the biggest risk as they had other options.

The Vikings, meanwhile, think they got their QB, but I have my doubts. I don’t doubt Ponder’s mechanics or his smarts, but he is not a strong armed QB and unless the Vikings are going to dink and dunk their way down the field, I think Ponder’s strengths don’t exactly mesh with those of big play WR’s Sidney Rice or Percy Harvin. Both of those WR’s should be downfield vertical threats, not running 6 yard crossing patterns. And that’s what Ponder will bring to the Vikings: a strong short area passing game which will be limited when needing to go downfield.

Finally, Cincinnati hid it from no one they wanted Andy Dalton and despite that they just had to stay put in round 2 and Dalton fell right to them. The Dalton fascination is puzzling to me as he is pretty much a clone of former Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: a high football IQ QB who needs to work on reading defenses while possessing a limited arm. Smart, heady QB’s are a good thing, but to be special and to win games consistently, they also need to have more of a complete package of tools, and Dalton is going to struggle because of his combination of arm strength and the outdoor stadium in Cincinnati. The good news for him is that the Bengals are scrapping their downfield vertical passing attack and going with more of a ball control focus. That plays to Dalton’s strengths. But if Cincinnati really thinks it’s going to beat both Pittsburgh and Baltimore playing that type of offense (and with the improvements the Cleveland Browns have made they could be a much better defense in 2011) and compete in the AFC North, they are kidding themselves.

There’s a chance that a couple of these teams will bring in a veteran QB and give these rookies a chance to watch for at least a short while before being thrown into the fire, but with the lockout making things difficult to forecast in the future, right now it’s likely that each of these 4 QB’s is going to end up being names placed on 2011 fantasy football cheat sheets by the time we get around to fantasy drafts.

2011 NFL Rookie’s that will have an early fantasy impact

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So different this year when it comes to accessing how rookies will impact their new NFL teams. You see typically an NFL team by this time of year has pretty much all their players in place that should make the roster. OTA’s with the rookies has just been completed and some second tier free agents might be peppered in here and there. However, this year is screwed up with no free agency (if any) in place or in sight for that matter.

That’s what makes it so difficult to predict this early rookies that could have a fantasy impact in early 2011. Perfect example- one could say Ryan Williams is in the perfect situation, having Cardinal fans tired of Chris Well’s being so below average, that they would welcome Williams with open arms. Only problem is two fold: 1) fans don’t mean a damn and 2) No one knows what type of QB play the Cards will have to see if teams only need to worry about stuffing the run (see all of 2010) and take their chances with crappy QB play.

That said there will be allot scrutiny about my early 2011 fantasy football rookie cheat sheets- so let the banter begin:

1) Daniel Thomas, RB Dolphins- He has the best opportunity to earn early reps especially with the turnover that is anticipated coming from aging elders Ronnie Brown and Ricky “don’t touch that number” Williams.

2) Mark Ingram, RB Saints – If there was a better fit for this kid- show me. He’s got Pierre and Reggie to mentor him and while he’s learning they loose all the reps and leverage. This is the one position where “father time” grabs a hold of you early in your RB career.

3) Julio Jones, WR Falcons- No surprise there will be a ton of pressure on this kid to produce early, however, he must remember that learning how to learn will be the first and most important priority. The WR position takes time 2-3 years before you master it and thats with an outstanding work ethic. Patience is needed.

4) Lance Kendricks, TE Rams – Hate this pick because its so good. That’s right I am a 49er fan and hate the fact that this kid will go up against my favorite time twice a year. Solid pick and Bradford is a solid trigger man who will learn how to incorporate this kids strengths early and often.

5) Kendall Hunter, RB 49ers- Love this pick and will have allot of fun following him. He’s going to beat out Dixon as Gores backup (Dixon dances too much with the ball) and thats going to allow the 9ers to have someone to hit the outside edge, when they are not grinding Gore.

6) Mikel Leshoure, RB Lions- Going to give J. Best a run for his money and could very well end up outperforming everyone else on this list. That said, look for the Lions to find ways to get this guy on the field.

7) Randall Cobb, WR Packers- Any WR that gets drafted by the Packers has a chance to be a top 10 rookie pick. C0uple that with some movement with the Packers current WR corp and you have a kid arriving at the right place and time (see Ingram earlier post) to be awfully successful.

Arizona Cardinals 2011 Draft

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Well for the most part it looks like the prognosticators pretty much hit the mark, The first five we almost a given in no particular order and went as expected even the Cardinals did the right thing and selected the highest rated player remaining in Patrick Peterson which some will argue; the best player in the draft.
It was not until pick 6 that had everybody tossing their mock drafts out the window. That’s what I really like about the NFL Draft; you build excitement waiting for the time to match your three months of works in compiling data all to put a grade on a collegiate player, you finalize your mock draft. Now as the days inch closer you’re really anticipating a draft that just flows in your perfect order and your team gets your guy and the other teams draft in line with your thoughts? (Ha) then before you know it you are left wondering,,,WHAT, I didn’t have Julio Jones going 6th to Atlanta? Cool, well then it looks like Gabberts a Niner at 7. OK the toss it out the window was just a saying, it went in the recycle.
The cool thing about the Cards drafting Peterson was the fact that Cardinals new D.C Ray Horton was in attendance at the Cards Draft party and walked out onto the stage to greet the Fans after the Bengals selected A.J Green. He asked the crowd who they were hoping to draft then Ray came forward with his inside information and told us that the Cards were going to select Patrick Peterson three minutes before the card hit the podium. Well you would think that would be the logical choice, but hey, you never really know!
What became interesting and surprising was the Ryan Williams selection, apparently the staff told him months ago that if he was sitting there when Arizona selected in the second round he would be a Cardinal. A top three ranked running-back on the board at 38, OK I can deal, perhaps this lights a fire under the heels of Beanie and Hightower. The TE in the third, I don’t really have anything to say about that!, Sam Ocho, I guess a wait and see player a bit undersized but has a motor and doesn’t miss games, a ‘Football Player’ Full-Back Anthony Sherman in the fifth is when I started to get the hint the Cardinals are focused on drafting ‘Football Players’ and not for positions of needs, to be honest, I know more about UCONN’s back up QB Johnny McEntee then Sherman after a little research I understand he is a heralded full back and stud special team guy, possessing some serious run blocking and pass protection skills, loves contact and searches out defenders to lay the lumber on. Sounds useful, hence the ‘heralded’ let’s give him a shot.
I still expect the Offensive line to be addressed in Free-Agency. This draft seems to indicate to me the Cardinals are having a change in their offensive philosophy and are looking more seriously into running the Football. Pound the Rock and ease lingering concern at the quarterback position.

LET’S GET IT STARTED!

2011 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospects

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The 2011 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and there is a lot of speculation that as many as 5 or 6 quarterbacks could be selected in the first round. If history is any judge, that seems like an overly optimistic projection and while many teams are needing a signal caller, when drafting in the first round, you can’t afford to miss on the pick. It’s especially head scratching to me that we hear about this many quarterbacks being selected this high when there are really no sure things at the position in this draft class. Each of the quarterback prospects come with question marks, either on the field issues or off the field issues. I’ve documented in greater detail my feeling about these 2011 NFL Quarterback draft prospects in a recent article at FantasyFootballStarters.com and encourage you to check it out for more on the 7 quarterbacks making the biggest buzz in draft circles.

Will Cam Newton be the first player selected=Auburn’s Cam Newton is believed by many draft experts to be the first quarterback taken despite him ranking lower on their best prospects list than Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. The tremendous athleticism of Newton is impossible to deny, but he isn’t as accurate as you would like, only has one year of stats to really take notice of, and comes with a slew of off-field issues that cannot be so easily dismissed.

Gabbert meanwhile comes across as a smart, strong armed QB who lacks the “it” factor of being an elite NFL caliber QB. He also failed to build on the promise of strong 2009 season in 2010. His accuracy is good and he looks the part of a NFL QB, but he doesn’t excite.

One of my favorite prospects, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, has been invited to the NFL Draft party in New York, and that bodes well for him to be a likely 1st round pick as the NFL tries to only invite players they know will be first round selections. Kaepernick is an intriguing prospect with a high degree of smarts and a desire to improve. His abilities as a strong armed passer and excellent runner (3 consecutive seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards) are traits becoming more desirable at the QB position in the NFL. While he’ll need work learning to read defenses and playing under center, he is very coachable and gives maximum effort both in the classroom and on the field. That will endear him to a patient coaching staff.

Washington’s Jake Locker is a guy I don’t understand what all the buzz is about. Not very accurate and questionable decision making are not qualities I see in elite QB prospects, but his strong arm and leadership abilities make him a guy many are projecting to be drafted in the top 2/3 of round 1. But I just don’t see it myself.

Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett is the best pure passer in this draft capable of making any throw with his elite arm strength. But he’s a statue in the pocket and not mobile. And as much is made of Newton’s concerns off the field, Mallett comes with plenty of his own. Comparisons to Jeff George in terms of a multi-million dollar arm on a 10 cent head surround him.

Two others getting a lot of love as being potential late first round picks, Florida State’s Christian Ponder and TCU’s Andy Dalton are smart QB’s who lack great arm strength. Both are considered to be better fits in west coast styles of offenses as they lose accuracy when throwing the intermediate and deeper routes. While one or both could surprise, both have the feel of being career backups in the NFL and not great starters. I’d be really surprised if either was taken in the first round. It just doesn’t make sense for physically limited quarterbacks to go in round 1.

An evocative Car-Pitt ride

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With the continued infusion of Steeler blood into the veins of the Cardinals, I can not help but to think of the 1944 merger, the stories read are almost funny in a peculiar sort of way I can almost tie that era into the present day workings and it’s not just the Rooney and Bidwill names that still remain synonymous with they’re respective organizations, the ones that made it happen then are still making it happen today?

All this CBA stuff aside teams are still preparing for business as usual. Every position is evaluated and player scrutinized. Looking at the Arizona Cardinals, they have talented football players; I believe they’re biggest issue last year was between the ears, yes this could very well be attributed to the coaches letting it get away with perhaps some complacency, still upgrades and depth is needed across the board, so where do you start?
On the offensive line we can expect Alan Faneca to retire after 14 seasons. Free agent Deuce Lutui had some issues last year, not sure if they have been fully resolved for what ever reason, be it ‘not the coaches guy’ or not, very probable he walks so this would leave nine year journeyman Jeremy Bridges and second year guy Tom Pestock at guards, Center Lyle Sendlein will need to re-sign and with only Levi Brown and Brandon Keith at the tackle positions the need for a solid utility guy up front could not be more evident which can be addressed through free agency with some very notable players that are available. As the Cardinals continue with their blend of Steeler-esque philosophy it would not surprise me to see Steelers free agent G/T Trai Essex and or even Jonathan Scott make a trip to Arizona as they know the coaches and system which couldn’t hurt and could come at a reasonable price. With the Steelers improving line and their depth, Essex could slip away to once again step in for the departing Faneca. Another name I would be interested in is the Saints Jermon Bushrod. New Orleans may get tripped up with Bushrod, they have Evans and need to get Carl Nicks wrapped up as well knowing they don’t want to lose a versatile player like Bushrod a choice will need to be made with Charles Brown as the future, the question is if the Saints are ready to commit to Brown as the full time starter if so this could leave Bushrod the odd man out.

On defense, same story, the mental aspect. This is where the Ray Horton hiring should prove to be effective and beneficial to a talented group of players.
Add some depth up front in free agency re-sign Iwebema then look to the draft for that immediate impact type player because when I look at the free agent linebackers and defensive backs I see a lot old and tired, tagged or high/over priced players; Patrick Peterson is an intriguing option but at this stage of the Cardinals needs, drafting a shut down corner just doesn’t make sense in my opinion when you should have a chance at a more versatile player, one that can provide a wider range of contributions to your team by disrupting an opponents offense one that can play up, play down, break up a pass, get in the backfield, tackle for loss, hit, pressure and sack the QB. That will make the greater impact, a linebacker the caliber of Von Miller or an Akeem Ayers could be that guy. So here’s to hope, hope that Horton has also acquired some skills in the Steeler art of drafting and developing the most intense and highly feared linebackers.

A QB at 5 for AZ?

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Probably the biggest adjustment the NFL rookie quarterback has to make is to the speed of the game so if he will be learning on the job you would think his greatest asset; a solid offensive line, his best friend a stud running back, those two elements together should play a significant role in the development of the young signal caller but many other variables can hinder the process. Much like the CBA is hindering my progress in evaluating my player rankings and mocks for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Alex Smith had Frank Gore why did that not happen? Brady Quinn, Tim Couch. What was the difference between Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and J.P Losman or Vince Young, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler? All these QB’s had what could be defined as ‘desired attributes’ ones that particular organizations felt were worthy of their first round selection, the guy they had to have. The next generation of Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford (needs to stay healthy), Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman seem to be catching on quick and are looking more like hits then busts.

Missouri's Blaine Gabbert: Should Arizona take him?

Looking at the Arizona Cardinals the needs are everywhere and hearing the ongoing grumblings about never having a franchise type Quarterback. I can look back to the days of Timm Rosenbaugh, whom subsequently left the NFL after a short stint, rumor was he felt it safer to be a bull rider in a rodeo then a quarterback for the then Phoenix Cardinals. He was probably right and to this day that premise seems to still be holding true as twenty years later you still have no ‘franchise’QB, your line is still porous and your defense gives up time consuming drives that lead to many points surrendered leaving themselves gassed. Which brings me to Kurt Warner, Yes Kurt was the greatest thing to happen to the Cardinals since ‘sliced bread’ but I’m sorry Kurt didn’t give up 41 to Atlanta and and the Chargers or allowed 38 to TB then 36 to Seattle so was this due to a secondary and cover guys not being able to cover, would better coverage allow the guys up front more time to effectively get into the backfield and hurry the passer or is it the guy’s up front not effectively rushing the passer that would take the pressure off of the cover guy’s? The longer your defense is on the field the longer the day for the team, it’s your offense that keeps your defense fresh. With the 2011 NFL scouting combine getting ready to start in Indianapolis, I know the Cardinals will be keeping a keen eye on the top QB prospects and how they perform. I am having a hard time believing this talk of Blaine Gabbert at #5 to be the guy that will fix the Cardinals woes in an instant. He will get shaken, rattled and stirred just like all of the other ones that have preceded him in a Cardinals uniform. I have no issue with John Skelton, He has all the same ‘Proto-Type’ attributes. Height, Weight, arm strength, quick read and react etc. Oh well! I guess not every top rated quarterback prospect can get drafted by a good team, being able sit back and hold a clip board behind a pro-bowl, future hall of fame QB for a few years.

Perceived value; improving your stock – Johnny McEntee.

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They say comedians make the best actors but can a back up college ‘trick shot‘ quarterback become a successful NFL quarterback?

UCONN’s Redshirt Junior Quarterback Johnny McEntee has went from an unknown back up quarterback to becoming an overnight sensation blowing up the web as his rendition of ‘Hey, check this out’ has morphed into a new title sequence of ‘How to get noticed by NFL scouts’ It is a remarkable display of abilities. If you have not seen the video yet, I would recommend it. Some of the drills are common practice in NFL training camps as I had noticed through out the years attending Cardinals Camps amongst other drills to challenge the quarterback’s accuracy the bucket drop was entertaining to the sideline fans. In the case of McEntee, he admittedly has had many reps in just messing around with some of the drills, so not really a feat to him, still a leg up on the competition at the next level as rarely if at all did the ball actually make it in the bucket. As recently as 2009 I recall Matt Leinart making it in once other than that Warner did well, much more consistent in numerous other attempts actually hitting the bucket but that was not more than 20 yards away, this guy is doing from 35 yards, watching the video you may notice he is standing between the hash marks, throwing the ball across the grain, a no-no in most coaches circles, impressive none the less.

The old adage; practice makes perfect could apply here but regardless of how much you practice knocking a water bottle off the top of a practice dummy from 20, 30 and 40 yards away, throwing a football through a basketball hoop while sitting down in the sixth row of the bleachers tells me you possess some serious arm strength. To impress us further he demonstrates his ability to stand flat footed from about 15 yards (the 5 to the back of the end-zone) tag both of the uprights then the cross bar and of course there was still more, he showed us that he can make all the tough throws, hitting his receivers in stride on post, fly and outs routes, the out was a little iffy, the receiver did have to stop and wait for the ball for a split, a minor detail though, given the QB was blind folded at the time. Yes, an impressive works that I am sure has raised the brow of new Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni, and has surely opened some eyes in the ranks of the NFL.

Future fantasy football studs at 2011 Senior Bowl

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It’s one of my favorite games and Mobile Alabama is the perfect place to host it.  A city of 200,000 all Americans who are building a solid community the old fashion growing jobs. Under Armour is a great sponsor for this yearly event.

Why is it such a great opportunity for seniors? First off, take advantage of every opportunity to display your talent and second these Seniors have an opportunity to get coached for a week by pro personnel coaching staffs this year featuring Buffalo and Cincinnati.

Honestly, I did not see much future fantasy talent displayed during the game but its there.  Guys like Boise State Wide Receiver Titus Young, Kentucky Running Back Derrick Lock just give them sometime and the future will be very bright.

That said, here are some of my early observations:

1) Purdue DT, Ryan Kerrigan is the real deal. Solid and will follow the footsteps of the Rams Jake Long, probably a top 20 pick.

2)Florida State Christian Ponder looked good out of a pro style offense doing a little bit of everything: running, passing and a quick TD pass to Miami’s WR Hankerson.

2) Alabama Quarterback Greg McElroy reminds me allot of Jeff Garcia, playing back there making it look like organized Chaos.

3) Fantasy Sleeper – West Virginia Running Back Noel Devine ran hard like a pinball machine at times but scored a TD. If he can play special teams, someone will give him a shot.

4) Everyone is in love with Texas A&M Von Miller not only the NFL Network crew, but the coaching staff. Even the president of the Senior Bowl.

5) DT Phil Taylor from Baylor is improving and gained a ton of praise from Chan Gailey.They have a very high pick and one of the benefits of coaching the game is getting a chance to evaluate the players. Example: Not allot of people know that Mike Singletary was not sold on Patrick Willis until he coached him at the senior bowl 4 years ago.

What amazes me is how college football is really dictating the type of football the NFL plays (i.e. Spread, 3/4, big WR’s) that was even confirmed by Mike Mayock and Charles Davis of the NFL network right before halftime of the game in which the south is up 17.0.

Speaking of the NFL lets keep our fingers crossed theat the NFLPA and NFL can get a labor deal done before the 2011 NFL Draft. That’s the timing that I personally think it will happen and you can check out more on what I learned at the FSTA Winter 2011 conference.

My view is lets not blow a good thing as we all know the U.S. needs positive momentum right not for allot of reasons. Like everywhere else these are not only jobs, but a form of enjoyment for millions of us.

Rookie Tight Ends Making Impact

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By Zack Cimini

Notjustagame.com

Week one had a major footprint for a bunch of rookies. Typically veterans break in rookies by delivering them a welcome blow. Instead rookies showcased their talents in all areas. Including special teams, defensively, and offensively. The area that really jumped out at us though is at tight end. There were several rookies that scored touchdowns. Lets take a look at the new crop of tight ends.

New England- Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski

This duo at tight end could be a special tandem. Both had strong preseasons and scored week one. Albeit, both also only equaled the catch column with their touchdown. Brady will get them more involved as teams gear to try to stop Wes Welker again. One thing we like is Hernandez speed for a tight end. He seemingly looks as if he is a wide receiver which poses big time problems for linebackers. Gronkowski will be their red zone target. For now keep them both on your radar until we see who will be more of the feature tight end.

Cincinnati- Jermaine Gresham

Gresham was a first round pick this year and the Bengals will look for him to earn the status of that pick. Palmer threw the football a whopping amount of times trying to get the Bengals back in the game against the Patriots. Gresham was a benefactor of that getting a late garbage touchdown. He did total six catches but his receiving yards were only 25. New England did a good job limiting pass plays over the middle, which is why Ocho Cinco and Jordan Shipley were able to rack up major yardage. Gresham is definitely a tight end who could be a waiver wire steal in the next couple of weeks.

St Louis- Michael Hoomanawanui

The Rams went into week one with only four active healthy starting receivers. At one point Laurent Robinson went out for a stretch limiting them to forcing special teamer, Danny Amendola, to step in. Sam Bradford accordingly had a tough start, and likely will all season. With their depleting cast, Michael Hoomanawanui should contribute at a higher rate. During the Rams preseason he was one of Bradford’s main targets. Problem with the Rams week one performance is they couldn’t sustain drives or get in the red zone for him.

Kansas City- Tony Moecki

The third round pick from Iowa had 33 percent of Matt Cassel’s passing yards. Sounds great until you see that Matt Cassel didn’t even throw for 70 yards. The plus side to that is Moecki did get a receiving touchdown. He isn’t the same Tony that Kansas City Chiefs fans were use to for over a decade, but he is going to be a Cassel target for now and the future.