Steelers want to lock up Wallace
Mike Wallace, WR, PIT
12:17 PM
News: The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday the team wants to keep WR
Mike Wallace "here for the long run." Wallace, their leading receiver last season, will become a restricted free agent March 13.
Analysis: Wallace played well in 2011 with 72 catches for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns on 114 targets. He will remain in Pittsburgh in 2012, and hopefully he can sign a long-term deal. We consider Wallace a Top 10 Fantasy WR on Draft Day, and he should be selected in all leagues in Round 3.
GM says no decision on Ward yet
Hines Ward, WR, PIT
12:13 PM
News: The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday that no decision has been made on whether WR
Hines Ward will be back with the Steelers in 2012. "To this current point, no final decisions have been made," Colbert said. "We've had several discussions internally. We're right in the midst of our free agent evaluations of other teams' free agents. We'll meet on those [on the Steelers roster] starting Thursday and carry through Monday." A recent report on NFL Network said that Ward won't be back with the Steelers in 2012 but a source close to Ward refuted the report.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Ward and where he ends up in 2012. No matter where Ward plays, however, he would have minimal Fantasy value, and he is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues.
News: The
Boston Herald reports that the Patriots will be in the market for a WR this year, and one obvious possibility is
Brandon Lloyd, who is an impending free agent, because of his ties to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The fact that Lloyd said “I’m tied to McDaniels” makes him a likely free agent target. Lloyd had 51 catches for 683 yards and five TDs last year in 11 games in St. Louis when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator makes him look pretty good after he amassed 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 scores with Denver when McDaniels was the coach.
Analysis: One holdup for Lloyd and the Patriots could be Lloyd's agent, Tom Condon, who has a rocky relationship with the Patriots. We'll see what plays out this offseason, but if Lloyd signs in New England he would be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy WR. He could still return to the Rams, where he would be a strong No. 3 option. Or he could shop himself around the league. Stay tuned, but either way Lloyd is worth a mid-round pick in all leagues.
Fitzpatrick finished season hurt
Bills, TQB BUF,
11:53 AM
News: The
Sports Xchange reports that Bills QB
Ryan Fitzpatrick's second-half swoon in 2011 was mystifying to fans and media who concluded the front office badly miscalculated in handing the career journeyman a 10-year, $60 million contract extension. But now it appears Fitzpatrick played the final nine games last season with cracked ribs. "A lot of people don't know, but Fitz, during the Washington game, actually cracked a couple of ribs," WR
David Nelson said. "So after that he was playing hurt." It showed. In Fitzpatrick's first seven games of the year, he threw for 1,739 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After the injury, he had 2,093 yards, 10 touchdowns and 16 picks. He finished the year with a league-high 23 interceptions. "It's hard to find the silver lining but as we evaluate the season and what went right and what went wrong I'm sure we'll find a lot of positives and a lot of things that we can carry into next year hopefully and continue to get better at it," Fitzpatrick said.
Analysis: Fitzpatrick obviously has 4,000-yard, 25-touchdown potential, but issues involving the personnel around him along with his own issues (accuracy, for one) make him risky for weekly use in Fantasy. Figure that he's worth a late-round pick as a good No. 2 Fantasy QB with potential to be a low-end starter. It should only help him if the Bills not only re-sign Steve Johnson this offseason, but also add talent at wide receiver.
News: The
Sports Xchange reports that Jacksonville has most of its top offensive players locked into contracts for the coming season with one notable exception - kicker
Josh Scobee, who is an eight-year veteran. Scobee has been one of the league's most accurate kickers in his eight seasons with the Jaguars, converting better than 75 percent of his field-goal attempts in all but one season. Scobee led the team in scoring last year with 92 points, including 23 of 25 (92 percent) field-goal attempts, the second time in his career he's finished over 90 percent with his kicks. It isn't likely the Jaguars would use the franchise tag on him and probably won't have to. They'll make every attempt to sign him. For a team that was among the league's lowest scoring clubs, the Jaguars can ill afford to lose a player with Scobee's talents.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Scobee. He is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues, but he could be used as a bye-week replacement as long as he remains with the Jaguars.
Coaches excited about Bradford
Rams, TQB STL,
11:44 AM
News: The
Sports Xchange reports that new Rams coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer are excited to be working with QB
Sam Bradford. Fisher has said on several occasions that Bradford's presence was a major factor that made the Rams' job attractive. "Sam was a big part of the decision," Fisher said. "We think he has a chance to be great. A lot of people around the league believe that. We are going to everything possible to make that happen." As Schottenheimer began watching tape of Bradford, he liked what he saw. "Obviously, he's extremely gifted, extremely talented," Schottenheimer said. "As I'm watching the film, getting the sense of how accurate he is with the football and how well he actually moves around and has made plays. That was one of the things that jumped off the film at me. It will be a fun process going through and looking at all the games and just getting a sense of where he's at. Obviously, I've been around a lot of young quarterbacks, but I think this guy's got a chance to be real special."
Analysis: We have high expectations for Bradford heading into 2012, but he still remains just a No. 2 Fantasy QB in the majority of leagues. The Rams need to give Bradford some weapons, but he is someone to draft with a late-round pick with the hope he can develop into a potential starting option in all formats.
Hill wants return to Lions
Shaun Hill, QB, DET
11:19 AM
News: The
Detroit Free-Press reports that Lions backup QB
Shaun Hill would like to return to Detroit in 2012. The Lions have told Hill, his representatives and others that they want him back as the primary backup to
Matthew Stafford. Hill also wants to return to Detroit -- and might even take a slight discount to do so. The 32-year-old appeared in two games last year and attempted just three passes, but he made 10 starts in 2010, when Stafford missed 13 games with two separated throwing shoulders.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Hill, but unless he signs with a team and earns a starting job he would not be worth drafting in the majority of leagues.
News: The
Newark Star-Ledger reports that Steelers WR
Jerricho Cotchery, who is an impending free agent, would like to return to Pittsburgh in 2012. “In exit meetings (with the Steelers), it was pretty much stated that they were very pleased with me, who I was on the field and off the field,” Cotchery said. “I’m everything that they thought I would be, so from their standpoint, they definitely would want me back. And I expressed the same desire, so we’ll see what happens.”
Analysis: Cotchery was coming off offseason back surgery last season and then missed the first three games with a hamstring injury. He finished with 16 catches for 237 yards, and he caught a 31-yard touchdown pass to force overtime against the Broncos in the wild-card playoff game. Keep an eye on what happens with Cotchery, but he has minimal Fantasy value heading into the year. He should not be drafted in most formats.
Kolb plans to be Cardinals starter
Cardinals, TQB ARI,
11:06 AM
News: The
Arizona Republic reports that Cardinals QB
Kevin Kolb is not worried about losing his job heading into 2012 with the speculation the team could sign
Peyton Manning if he becomes a free agent. "I know how the NFL works," Kolb said, "anything is possible. I just try to keep my mind clear and do what I can on my end. I plan on having a great year and being a Cardinal for a long time." Kolb is due a $7 million bonus if he's on the roster March 17, and said "every indication on my end shows me that I'll be there." Kolb's first season with the Cardinals was hampered by a foot injury and concussion. He missed four games because of the foot and the last three games of the season with the concussion. "I feel good," Kolb said. "I'd say it took three to four weeks after the season was over to not have any symptoms. Once my mind cleared, I got back to working out."
Analysis: Kolb struggled in his first year with the Cardinals in 2011, and he was outplayed by John Skelton for most of the year. Kolb passed for 1,955 passing yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, but he will likely be the starter in 2012 if the team doesn't bring in Manning. Keep an eye on what happens, but Kolb is only worth drafting as a No. 2 Fantasy QB in deeper leagues if he remains the starter with the Cardinals.
Broncos could franchise Prater
Matt Prater, K, DEN
10:54 AM
News: The
Denver Post reports that the Broncos could use the franchise tag on impending free agent kicker
Matt Prater. The projected salary for a franchised kicker this year is less than $2.6 million — down 19 percent from $3.176 million in 2011. Prater said near season's end that after five seasons of kicking on year-to-year deals, he was hoping free agency would bring him the security of a long-term contract. Prater drew a $1.835 million salary as a restricted free agent in 2011, when he had four walkoff field goals for wins, including successful overtime kicks of 52 yards at Miami and 51 yards against the Bears.
Analysis: Prater had a solid year in 2011. He was 19 of 25 on field goals and made all 30 extra points. Keep an eye on what happens with him this offseason, but he could be worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues if he remains with the Broncos.
Finding the right rookie running back seems easy, but when you consider that there's been only one rookie rusher to top 1,000 yards in each of the last six seasons, uncovering that gem isn't very simple. So when you want to find the rookie rusher who can deliver the big stats, look for full-time starters. That's why I think Marshawn Lynch is your best bet in 2007 drafts. A first-round pick out of Cal, Lynch immediately filled the vacated running back job in Buffalo. He can run effectively inside as well as hit the edges to make gains on the outside. Lynch also had the best hands of any running back in the draft and was impressive in offseason workouts and training camp. While his stats aren't as eye-popping as other rookie running backs this preseason, keep in mind that he's only had seven carries in two games; Adrian Peterson and Brandon Jackson have had way more chances to shine, and that's because their coaches want to test them and see what they're capable of doing as part of a tandem. The Bills want to save Lynch and have him as healthy as can be when the season starts. Lynch will share a little too, but not as much as the others. So ignore the preseason totals and follow the projected workload. Lynch should see more work over the course of the season than any rookie running back, and that gives him the best chance to put up the biggest numbers. 
There are three rookie running backs who have a chance to make an impact this season in Green Bay's Brandon Jackson, Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson with the Vikings. Tennessee's Chris Henry also could be a factor as the season goes on. While I like Lynch and Peterson a lot and would be happy to draft both of them in any Fantasy league, Jackson might have the most upside with the knee injury to Vernand Morency, who could miss the start of the season. With Morency out, Jackson has thrived and earned the starting nod. He ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in last week's preseason game against Seattle and continues to get better. He has good size (5-foot-10, 212 pounds) and speed and plays in a better offense than Lynch and Peterson. For all of Brett Favre's talk of retirement, he's a more experienced quarterback than J.P. Losman or Tarvaris Jackson, which will help in opening up the running game. Peterson is expected to share carries with Chester Taylor, who is still going to be the starter. And Lynch may lose goal-line touches to the bigger Anthony Thomas. Morency's eventual return will hurt Jackson's value, but for now he has the edge of all the rookie running backs. In keeper leagues, Peterson is your best bet, but for this season take Jackson first because he will be the one who helps you the most. 
