News: The Sports Xchange reported that despite a joint statement Friday stating that they wanted to "dispel any misconceptions" about their relationship, it has been reported that Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay decided two weeks ago not to give Peyton Manning his $28-million roster bonus by March 8. That would make the Colts' iconic quarterback a free agent, according to a report by the NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora. "According to sources who were involved in the Colts' GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner," LaCanfora said in his report. "So Friday's joint statement won't be changing a thing."
Analysis: Manning was critical of Irsay earlier in the week for the wholesale changes made to the organization since the Colts finished the season 2-14 after making nine consecutive playoff appearances. Vice chairman Bill Polian was fired along with his son, Chris, the Colts' general manager, and coach Jim Caldwell. Manning missed the entire 2011 season and has had three neck surgeries in two seasons. The four-time NFL MVP's future is still up in the air, so Fantasy owners should keep an eye on this situation. In the event that he is cleared for full practice he'll probably be considered a No. 1 Fantasy QB worth a pick starting in Round 4 or 5. Depending on where he plays and who he's throwing to, that could prove to be a tremendous bargain. We'll continue to keep you posted.
News: San Francisco rookie LB Aldon Smith was arrested Saturday in Miami Beach on DUI charges, reports KTVU in Miami.
Analysis: Smith had a solid debut season in the NFL with 14 sacks in the regular season, the second-most by a rookie in NFL history. Smith, the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft, had two sacks in the postseason as well. Possibly the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year, Smith doesn't want to tarnish his record with the DUI charge. He's subject to possible fine or suspension if he is found to have violated the NFL's personal conduct policy. Otherwise, he'll be a solid option in IDP formats next year.
News: The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms with Jack Del Rio to become the club’s new defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday night. Del Rio was coach John Fox’s first defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2002 before leaving after one year to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars, who fired him in November. Del Rio replaces Dennis Allen, who left after one year in Denver to become the coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Analysis: Del Rio is the Broncos’ seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons. Others who have filled the Mile High musical chair in the last six seasons are Larry Coyer (2006), Jim Bates (2007), Bob Slowik (2008), Mike Nolan (2009) and Don Martindale (2010). Allen was the only one who left for a head coaching job. Del Rio will be in charge of a unit that was inconsistent throughout the past season and surrendered an average of 24.4 points per game. With solid LB Von Miller progressing, Denver should be viewed as a No. 2 Fantasy DST for 2012.
News: Rob Gronkowski is absent from the Patriots' practice for the second straight day with an injured left ankle. A report on the specifics of the injury comes from WIVB-TV in Buffalo, who reported that his father, Gordy Gronkowski, said he has a high ankle sprain but expects him to be fine for the Super Bowl against the Giants. Gronkowski, whose 17 touchdown catches set an NFL single-season record for tight ends, was injured late in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-20 AFC championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Analysis: Gronkowski finished the season with 90 catches for 1,327 yards, giving him the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end. The big fella continues to make plays in the postseason. With a week to go until the big game against the Giants, he should be fine. Gronkowski should not only be one of the first tight ends off the board on Draft Day in 2012, but get snapped up with a pick between 20th and 30th overall.
News: Giants WR Hakeem Nicks did not participate in any practices during the team's bye week before Super Bowl XLVI. He's listed as questionable on the team's preliminary practice report. Nicks is dealing with a shoulder injury after being on the injury report for a spell with an ankle problem.
Analysis: At this point we're not concerned about Nicks missing the game, nor are we concerned for his long-term health. Assuming he can get in a few practices before the big game, he should be ready to go against a pass defense that has struggled against most of its opponents. Expect a good game from Nicks and consider him a No. 1 Fantasy WR for 2012 worth a second- or third-round pick.
News: The Ravens announced that Cam Cameron will stay on as the team's offensive coordinator following their loss in the AFC title game. Cameron has been the team's OC and playcaller since 2008 and has been the only coordinator to work with QB Joe Flacco. The Ravens have gone 44-20 over that time and have been to playoffs every season.
Analysis: Cameron's helped the Ravens win, but he hasn't helped Flacco progress as a quarterback. For example, Flacco has had between 3,610 and 3,622 passing yards and between 20 and 25 touchdowns in each of his last three seasons. But this year his completion percentage and yards per attempt dropped like a rock while his pass attempts hit a career high (542, breaking the previous mark of 499). Flacco fits the bill as a great No. 2 Fantasy QB; though he's finally outfitted with a quality receiving corps, he simply doesn't invoke much confidence as a starting option. Look for him late in drafts.
News: The Ravens will replace Chuck Pagano with Dean Pees as their defensive coordinator. Pagano left the Ravens to coach the Colts. Pees previously coached the Ravens linebackers and was last a defensive coordinator with the Patriots.
Analysis: Pees should be fine running a Ravens defense that's been consistently strong. They have a good pass rush in place along with a great run-stuffing unit. They could improve in some areas (while they limited running backs on the ground they still allowed a bunch of rushing touchdowns) but it's assumed that they'll be worth a late-round pick in drafts this summer as a No. 1 unit.
News: When the Bears promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator, many felt it would keep the team in a run-first mentality. But Tice says that's not the case as he told the Chicago Tribune that he plans to fit the offense into the scheme, not the other way around, which was a problem with ex-coordinator Mike Martz's system. Tice admits he'll run plenty, but he wants to cater to the strength of the unit, and that's Jay Cutler's arm. "[He] can make all the throws," Tice said. " ... Right now, we have a great understanding of what our philosophy is going to be. And, all of the stuff that we are going to do, he has done. So that is a good thing."
Analysis: Tice especially is interested in using the no-huddle approach and giving Cutler the chance to get into a rhythm. That's a benefit, as is not changing the terminology, which means there won't be an overhaul on the playcalling system for Cutler to learn. He's far from a perfect quarterback, but anything the Bears can do to keep him comfortable and firing away down the field will go a long way in Fantasy. Cutler will be drafted as a No. 2 option but he has some potential to be a big stat producer. He's well worth a middle- to late-round pick in drafts this summer.
News: The Colts hired Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano as their new head coach, replacing Jim Caldwell. The hire signals in a new era in Indianapolis, one that might mean a change in defensive strategy. Since the team hired Tony Dungy, the Colts have run a Cover-2 defense. Pagano is coming from the Ravens which ran a 3-4 attacking style. Pagano wouldn't commit to a scheme at his introductory press conference. "We're not going to try to jam a square peg into a round hole," Pagano said. "We're going to find out the strengths of this unit, the weaknesses, and we're going to put them in the best possible position to be successful."
Analysis: Who Pagano hires to be his defensive coordinator might go a long way in determining what kind of scheme the Colts will run. Of course, this is a defense that's a long way in being relevant in Fantasy to begin with. Keep them off your radar for now.
News: The Buccaneers are counting on Greg Schiano to lead them back to respectability and transform Tampa Bay into consistent winners -- much in the same way he made Rutgers matter again. Schiano was at Rutgers for 11 seasons, taking them from college football laughingstocks to a program that has had winning records in six of the last seven years. He was an assistant coach in the NFL with Chicago from 1996-98. "Coach Schiano is a bright, meticulous teacher who knows how to get the most out of his players," GM Mark Dominik said. "He built and ran a pro-style program at Rutgers, and he's a defensive-minded coach whose teams have always been characterized by toughness and a physical style of play."
Analysis: Schiano inherits a team that allowed the most points in the NFL this season and is also among the league's youngest. There's no doubting his football knowledge or his ability to garner respect, but unless the Bucs surround him with some experienced coaches to help him through his first few years, there could be some struggles. We don't think the hire will improve the defense overnight as they have too many issues that warrant change. At the most, we could see the Bucs DST as a one-week replacement option during the season.
