Places Where Questions Loom...
New England
Will they even have a TE this year?
Sure -- his name is Alge Crumpler. But is Alge more of a 3rd tackle than a pass-catching option. The Crumps is 33 yrs old this year and his most agile days are behind him. It's not like the TE in New England was Tony Gonzalez, but still, without a lot of WR options, it leads you to wonder what the plans are.
Click below for rest of article...
Which New England RB won't be back?
Faulk, Maroney, BJGE, Fred Taylor, and Sammy Mo... they're all part of the team. But they can't all stay with the team. Faulk is probably a lock as they just re-upped him and he does so much. Maroney is dirt cheap, which means he could stay -- or he could get traded in an effort to recoup some assets. BJGE is young -- while the others aren't really. It comes down to Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris. I believe both of them are 34 years old, and they are similar guys. So the question is which one doesn't make it. -- My guess is Sammy gets cut.
Buffalo
Who is going to start opposite Lee Evans at WR?
Josh Reed is a free agent. Terrell Owens is gone. This leaves guys like Steve Johnson and James Hardy as candidates. There has to be someone else. Buffalo looks like a place where Muhsin Muhammad, or Laverneous Coles could go and step right in. The question is how long before Buffalo makes that decision. An obvious option could be drafting a guy, but is that player going to do anything right away?
Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick?
Doesn't this just seem like a place for Marc Bulger or Jeff Garcia? Are you telling me Garcia wouldn't be better options than these guys?
NY Jets
How many times will NYJ run the football?
The answer is close to 40 times per game -- well maybe 35. But it will be up there. Despite trading for Santonio Holmes, and having Cotchery, Dustin Keller, and Braylon Edwards, they still have Marc Sanchez who is learning the ropes. Last year, NYJ led the league with 602 carries (37 times per game). With Shonn Greene, Ladanian, and Leon Washington, that's probably going to continue. Figure 15-18 for Green, 12-15 for LT, and about 5-6 for Leon...
Who suffers the most at WR with the logjam between Cotchery, Holmes, and Edwards?
Does anyone else find it interesting that the best WR in that group might be the guy who was the 4th rounder and not the two 1st rounders. At least he's the one who won't be getting suspended in 2010. Truth is, Cotchery probably suffers the least because he's not going to be suspended like Holmes is and like Edwards could be. If Edwards doesn't hold onto the football, they won't give him the chances to drop many more. If Santonio takes a while to get into rhythm, he could lack chemistry with Sanchez missing the first 4 games. Both Edwards and Holmes are in contract years, so the motivation is there to deliver. Flip a coin right now.
Miami
How does Brandon Marshall help Chad Henne?
Marshall is a beast of a WR and could be just what Henne needs to establish some productivity. With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams forcing teams to play the run, Henne could breakout into a big season.
Can Ronnie Brown ever stay healthy?
Would you be surprised if I told you that Ronnie Brown is 29 yrs old this year? Given the injuries of Brown, and the age of Ricky Williams, Miami seems ripe to go RB early in the draft.
Pittsburgh
Is Mike Wallace ready?
All signs point to Mike Wallace getting every opportunity to be the #2 WR in Pitt. As the #3 WR he delivered well as a rookie and should only get better. Then again, Pittsburgh signed both Shaun McDonald and Antwan Randle El this offseason. So what makes anyone thinks Wallace is a lock to start opposite Hines in 2010?
Is Limas Sweed ever going to do anything?
Well -- right now, he'll be the 5th WR in Pittsburgh behind all the aforementioned guys. So no, don't hold your breath.
Cleveland
Who is the starting RB in Cleveland?
They loved James Davis last offseason and he was making strides until the injury. Meanwhile, Jerome Harrison delivered when called upon. But are either of these guys what you expect in 2010? Tough to say other than Mike Holmgren made Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens household names back in Green Bay in the 90's.
Who are the starting WRs in Cleveland?
Mohammad Massoquoi and Brian Robiskie I suppose, right? But let's not forget Chansi Stuckey too -- as Mangini did trade to bring him... even though the whole passing attack in Cleveland was anemicDoesn't this seem like a place where a veteran can come in and at least show them the ropes?
Even though Holmgren is running the show, will they be any better?
When Tuna took over in Miami, he cleaned house. Holmgren didn't do that per se. Mangini is still the coach, and his coordinators are still there I believe. While overall, Cleveland was a train wreck in 2009, will Holmgren allow Mangini to do the game-planning and scheming. If Holmgren was on the sidelines, I might get more excited about the offense improving. But he's not. So there is a lot of uncertainty in how the play between the hash marks changes. Could Holmgren be using this a s a trial-and-error season to see what he can learn about what the players are capable of and what he needs out of a coach.
Cincinnati
Which Antonio Bryant will show up in Cincinnati?
This is Bryant's 5 team and in some places, he delivered like a top 20 WR. In other circumstances, he disappeared. Last year's season was simply a forgotten nightmare for any Tampa Bay players -- so it's a fresh start with a top notch QB.
Can Matt Jones stay clean?
He's the Chris Henry replacement. The same type of player in size and lankiness. He'll be that guy who will get 2-25 one week and then 4-55-TD the following week. The question is whether or not he can stay out of trouble.
Does Bernard Scott give Cedric Benson something to worry about?
He came on strong out of the gate. And while Benson is the guy in Cincy, injuries happen plenty at the RB spot -- so don't rule out a situation when Scott gets a chance and sets the league on fire.
Baltimore
Is Mark Clayton a forgotten man in Baltimore?
Well -- kinda sorta, yes. Truth is, Clayton hasn't delivered on expectations either. And now that Mason is re-signed and Boldin is there, Clayton will get squeezed.
Is Willis McGahee all done?
Maybe not all done? But the days of being a featured RB are gone if you look at the reality of it all. He's also 29 years old and carries a big frame.
Ray Rice -- Flash in the pan or the real deal?
Real deal -- next question
Indianapolis
Does Peyton Manning suffer the Super Bowl hangover of other losers?
Take a look at the seasons Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon, and Tom Brady had after losing their super bowl games -- And I'm not talking about chumps like Grossman, or Kerry Collins... these were stellar QBs at the top of their games when they lost (Warner back against the Patriots)
Who steps up as the #2 WR in Indy this year?
Garcon? Gonzalez? or Collie? I'm sure there is a case for any one of them -- but it'll be most interesting to see who steps in as the #2 in the first training camp.
Does Donald Brown over-take Joseph Addai this year?
Addai had a better year than most noticed. And with that offense, there is enough to go around for touches. But Brown was brought in to take the reigns at some point. You wonder if he's capable and if this is the year.
Tennessee
Will any WR in Tennessee do anything productive?
Pretty simply -- probably not. Vince Young is the starting QB, and this is a reflection of the Atlanta Falcons and Michael Vick, when no WR ever came close to 1,000 yards
Is this the year Lendale White steps up?
Not unless Chris Johnson gets injured
Jacksonville
Mike Sims-Walker -- for real?
This'll be an interesting year for Walker. He was a more productive WR in college over Brandon Marshall (on the same team). But Walker likes injuries. It'll come down to that. We've seen some young WRs get the injury bug early in their careers and then learn how to play through it.
Who is the #2 WR in Jacksonville?
Torry Holt is gone -- and Dez Bryant is said to be off their board. Right now, Ernest Wilford, Jarrett Dillard, Troy Williamson, and Mike Thomas. Scared yet? If your name is David Garrard, then yes. Still though a place that is ripe for a high WR pick in the draft or a veteran coming in.
Houston
Who is going to be the primary RB in Houston?
Are there a lot of veteran RBs still available in the market? I'm struggling to keep up. They passed on LT, and plenty of rumors have been around them drafting one early. Arian Foster performed well down the stretch, while Steve Slaton could return to 2008 form.
Is Matt Schaub for real?
BIG year for Schaub last year, and that's because he played 16 games.
Oakland
How old do you think Al Davis is?
He'll be in 81 in July. 81 - the only other profession where you're never too old to run an organization -- is public office. And look how good those guys do. Every other job - the board kicks em out after a while. Bet you didn't know that Al Davis was actually born in Brockton, MA
Is Darren Mcfadden yet another top RB who can't beat out other RBs?
Last year, not only did Michael Bush out-perform Mcfadden, but actually -- so did Justin Fargas.
Kansas City
Is Matt Cassell any good?
Last year's numbers were forgettable -- but so were the Chiefs overall. The question is whether Cassell was the reason.
Will Charlie Weiss turn Cassell into a stud again?
He knows the system very well. The Chiefs appear to be operating wisely, so this could be a big rebound for Cassell and Weiss.
Does Thomas Jones have anything left?
Jones is a vastly under-rated RB. Given his age (now 32) and his time in the NFL (this is his 11th season), Jones has proven to be a very durable and physical back getting the tough yards. There is no reason to believe he still won't be able to deliver a big year. Unless of course, you care about offensive lines and he was running behind one of the best in the NFL the last two years.
San Diego
Is Darren Sproles really the starting RB?
Is this going to change at all? Because he's got to be the shortest RB ever to be considered a starter. Another place where you could see a high draft pick used on an RB.
Is Malcolm Floyd the #2 WR in San Diego?
Based on statistics last year, yes. But that was last year. The person I'd be paying attention to in 2010 isn't Craig Davis, but Legedu Naanee
Denver
How does Denver replace Brandon Marshall?
Good god-damn question -- Sorry to say that they don't have that kind of WR on their roster now... Sure Eddie Royal may rebound and have 90 grabs -- but is he going to rip down 12-13 TDs? Royal is a possession guy with great speed. But Marshall is just a beast -- breaking tacklings and running for 40 yard TDs... catching corner jump balls, etc... The other question is who starts opposite Royal?
Will Kyle Orton kill Josh McDaniel?
Not if Brady Quinn has any say in the matter. McDaniel is a Weiss guy. Quinn exploded at Notre Dame under Weiss. It's a decent formula, but will he be given the chance to beat out Orton?
The Commish is a contributor to the Bingo Bar Blog and aspiring journalist. He's made his bones covering the MVFFL as a beat writer and now enjoys a freelance career.
No comments:
Post a Comment