Fantasy movers: Free agency is underway
Sure, you can question his timing. Favre and the Packers narrowly missed a chance to compete in Arizona. He was having fun and flinging the ball around like a kid again. But, the wear and tear, physically and mentally, drains you eventually. Could we see Favre rise up from the ashes again? Until retirement papers are filed with the league, I'm certainly not bolting the door closed.
In the interim, Packers fans anxiously await the beginning of the Aaron Rodgers era. Rodgers looked solid in his first extended action under center in 2007. He completed 18-of-26 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown in relief of Favre against the Cowboys in Week 13. Rodgers demonstrated good downfield accuracy and arm strength. That effort, and his familiarity with the Green Bay system, allows fans to breathe easier this off-season. They have no choice, as the free agent market at quarterback is lean.
Favre's retirement comes on the heels of the announcement that Moss had re-upped with the Patriots for three years and a reported $27 million. Fantasy owners with the option of slapping Tom Brady with a "keeper" tag are smiling this week. According to some reports, Moss turned down a higher offer from Philadelphia to remain with the Patriots.
Also breaking the bank were Ben Roethlisberger and Derek Anderson. Roethlisberger signed an eye-popping $102-million, eight-year deal to remain a Steeler for life. Anderson inked a three-year deal to remain in Cleveland, where he shone brightly once he wrested the starting gig from Charlie Frye, who famously started the opener and was shipped off to Seattle.
Anderson is smiling this week, not just for the extra zeroes in his bank account, but for the addition of Donte' Stallworth. Stallworth caught 46 passes in his single season in New England, racking up 697 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He's averaged 15.1 yards per reception in his six-year NFL career and will command attention downfield. Stallworth's presence will serve to make this already-potent offense even stronger, and the fantasy futures of Anderson, Kellen Winslow, Jr. and Braylon Edwards are bright indeed.
Following several seasons as fantasy football's favorite handcuff option, Michael Turner is finally in a situation where he'll command significant playing time. Turner signed a six-year deal with Atlanta and will reportedly split time with Jerious Norwood (long a favorite in this space). Turner has averaged a stellar 5.5 yards per carry in his limited duty with the Chargers (228 carries), but his combination of power and speed is awful intriguing. The Falcons will undoubtedly run the ball with great regularity this season with either Chris Redman or perhaps draft choice Matt Ryan under center. Even a workload split with Norwood will make him a solid late No. 2 running back option.
Turner's introduction to Atlanta signaled the end for Warrick Dunn, who may be targeted by a number of teams in each of running back depth. One possible destination is a return to Tampa. Dunn topped 1,000 yards in two seasons with the Buccaneers before leaving for Atlanta. Another team that may be interested in Dunn is Indianapolis, where Dunn would be reunited with former coach Tony Dungy. He'd make for a strong second option behind Joseph Addai, particularly because of his pass-catching ability. We'll be sure to keep an eye on travels this spring.
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| Can Vince Young (above) take advantage of Alge Crumpler's talents the same way Michael Vick did? (Andy Lyons / Getty Images) |
The Titans found a new target to aid in Vince Young's continued development. Tennessee signed veteran tight end Alge Crumpler to a two-year deal reportedly worth $5 million. Crumpler has been one of the steadiest contributors from the tight end position in the past four years, averaging 52.8 receptions and six touchdowns per campaign. Assuming that he can avoid a recurrence of the knee injuries that slowed him in 2007, Crumpler could be a huge contributor to fantasy lineups this season. Remember, his top seasons came with Michael Vick under center, a quarterback whose style greatly resembles that of Young.
Pittsburgh found a new return man and possible third-down running back in Mewelde Moore. Moore was a non-factor in the Minnesota offense during 2007 (he had only 26 touches), but he's demonstrated a knack for catching the ball out of the backfield in the past. He averaged 36.7 receptions during his first three years with the Vikings. Moore will be third on the depth chart behind Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport.
The Jaguars produced a tremendous season behind quarterback David Garrard in 2007. One of their primary concerns entering the off-season with the wide receiver position. Reggie Williams was a red zone monster in 2007 with his 10 touchdowns, but the Jaguars lacked a true "go-to" receiver. Did the signing of Jerry Porter remedy that situation? The jury is out. Porter's reputation precedes him, and there's some question about whether his introduction to this roster will wreak havoc on the team chemistry.
By the same token, Porter narrowly missed the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005. The Raiders' issues in the past two years have been well-documented, so I shan't recount them here. However, one can't discount Porter's contributions to their woes. If he's ready to play, he'll warrant consideration as a discount sleeper pick. Just tread with caution.
Jacksonville also added a former first-round pick in a trade with Minnesota. Troy Williamson joins the crowded Jacksonville receiving corps with the hope of leaving his history of drops and inconsistent play behind. Williamson has the size and speed to become a force downfield, but he'll need to clean up his play to crack the rotation.
The Dolphins added a sizable target for quarterback TBD (sorry, I couldn't resist) with the signing of Ernest Wilford. Wilford caught a career-high 45 passes for 518 yards and three touchdowns for the Jaguars in 2007, and this 6-foot-4 target is no stranger to the role of red-zone specialist. He caught seven touchdown passes for the Jaguars in 2005. Wilford warrants attention as a sleeper pick in the Bill Parcells rebuilding process down in Miami.
Perhaps the strangest decision-making of the early signing period belongs to the Chicago Bears. After struggling offensively all year, the Bears released Muhsin Muhammad and watched speedy wideout Bernard Berrian sign with division rival Minnesota. Berrian narrowly missed recording the first 1,000-yard season of his career while establishing a new career mark with 71 receptions. He becomes a great downfield target for Tarvaris Jackson, who has the arm to make things happen downfield. If Berrian cuts down on his crushing drops, he could make a huge leap on the fast track in Minnesota.
The Bears also waved goodbye to veteran receiver Muhammad. He experienced a year-over-year decrease in his production since joining the Bears (any Bears fans want to pile on?). Muhammad returns to the Carolina, where he produced a ridiculous 93-reception, 1,400-yard season in 2004. He also caught 16 touchdown passes. Muhammad will serve as a great complement to Steve Smith once again, and his presence will help to free up Smith downfield. Muhammad will be solid contributor in PPR leagues this season.
While the Panthers brought Muhammad home, they also bid adieu to running back DeShaun Foster. He returns to California by signing a deal with the 49ers, where he'll serve as the backup and insurance for Frank Gore. Foster posted a career-low rushing average in 2007 as the Panthers' offense sputtered (3.5 yards per carry). His departure boosts the fantasy value of DeAngelo Williams, although the Panthers will likely add a running back via free agency or the draft to complement the speedy third-year back.
San Francisco also added veteran wide receiver Isaac Bruce to the equation. Bruce's 55 receptions in 2007 for the Rams would have led the 49ers. As such, San Francisco brass sought to shore up the position quickly. Perhaps his arrival will help 2007 flop Darrell Jackson to recover.
Also in the NFC West, the Rams acted quickly to replace kicker Jeff Wilkins, who decided to retire after 14 seasons. St. Louis signed Josh Brown, formerly of the Seahawks. Brown is coming off of a tremendous season during which he converted 28-of-34 field goal attempts and scored 127 points, his fifth straight season with at least 109 points. He remains a top-tier option in moving to St. Louis.
The preceding list represents but a smattering of the activity that has taken place across the NFL since Friday morning. Teams have shuffled offensive and defensive lines, and some huge names in defensive backfield have traded their colors. The Eagles didn't land Moss, but they did sign Asante Samuel. Sammy Knight, Drayton Florence, Randall Gay, Gibril Wilson and Ricardo Colclough also found new homes and big paydays during the past week.
I'll break down the offensive and defensive line adjustments and the overall impact on team defenses as we begin our journey to fantasy drafts for 2008.
Don't laugh. It won't be that long before we're debating the top five picks and Brady's place on the list.
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