Preseason Blues
When the lockout and the subsequent free agency frenzy ended, there was excitement among dynasty owners and NFL players alike. After all, it was time to get to business and see some players fulfill some of that potential.
Four preseason games later, we have some very disappointed owners who have seen a handful of their commodities lose significant value over the past month. There are lots of candidates for the list of players who have seen their stock plummet, but here are some of the most extreme cases.
Tim Tebow, QB DEN
Billed as the starter for much of the offseason, Tebow first saw Kyle Orton’s trade to Miami fizzle out, then followed it by struggling mightily in camp. It’s quite possible he’s no better than third on the depth chart behind Brady Quinn. Like him or not, it’s hard to say you saw that one coming.
While he should still be kept on a roster because of his potential, this preseason was a severe blow to his long term outlook and owners counting on a breakout need to look elsewhere.
Mikel Leshoure, RB DET
It’s just sad. Countless young men work their whole lives to get a shot at their dream of playing in the NFL. Unfortunately, a few of these players see their dreams turn into nightmares due to severe injuries. Such is the case with Leshoure, whose long-term outlook is very murky after a torn left Achilles tendon ended his season before it started. He’s very young, but a sure fire first round rookie pick is now no better than a late round flier.
Ryan Williams, RB ARI
As if losing one young running back wasn’t bad enough, Williams was also lost for the year with a ruptured patella tendon. Much like Leshoure, his road back is going to be brutal. The list of players to return to form after an injury like this is very, very short. Unfortunately, we may never know how good he could have been.
Shane Vereen, RB NE
Much like Williams and Leshoure, Vereen was another highly regarded running back from April’s draft. While he didn’t suffer a career threatening injury, his hamstring issue knocked him way down the depth chart behind upstart Stevan Ridley. He sits precipitously on the roster bubble this weekend – it’s hard to say anyone saw that coming two months ago.
Roy Williams, WR CHI
It’s hard to say Williams had a ton of value before, but most thought the move to Chicago would help him. Unfortunately, he showed up out of shape and has done nothing but disappoint so far. It’s hard to see Williams being relevant again, even with the support of Mike Martz.
Danario Alexander, WR STL
DX was one of everyone’s favorite sleepers going into the preseason. After all, he possessed a great skill set and had shown the knack to get open at will. It’s now obvious his knees are simply not going to allow him to be successful in the long term at the NFL level – he may not even make the team at this point.
Brandon Tate, WR NE
Chad Ochocinco’s arrival took some of the wind out of Tate’s sails, but he’s also been incredibly disappointing ever since the Pats let go of Randy Moss. He’s another player on the roster bubble going into the weekend.
Donald Brown, RB IND
It looks like he’s let one more opportunity slip through his fingers. There was a time where Brown looked like a can’t miss dynasty prospect, but he’s struggled with just about every aspect of the game at the NFL level. He’s been passed by Delone Carter to back up the uninspiring Joseph Addai.
David Gettis, WR CAR
Gettis showed a lot of promise last season and would have been in a nice spot to grow within a new offense. A torn ACL will destroy his chance of making an impact any time soon.
Daniel Thomas, RB MIA
We all expected more than 31 carries for just 109 yards this preseason. Thomas has shown a tendency to be indecisive and has run with much less power than was advertised. The Dolphins aren’t pulling the plug here, but any chance of him being the featured back any time soon (as some expected) has gone out the window.
John Carlson, TE SEA
In the span of two years, Carlson has gone from a top ten dynasty tight end to someone who belongs squarely on waivers. As if the Zach Miller addition wasn’t bad enough, now he’s out for the year with an injury. Yuck.
Sidney Rice, WR SEA
You could say he belongs more on the list of free agency losers like Jonathan Stewart, but it looks even worse than expected in Seattle. It’s going to be a very long year if you’re relying on any Seahawk position player this year, regardless of how talented they may be.
Ryan Torain, RB WAS
He entered the offseason as the starter in the Redskins backfield and will now spend the weekend being afraid to answer his phone. Tim Hightower has earned the starting job, Roy Helu is the clear backup and there’s now word the Redskins may be considering keeping Evan Royster over Torain? Ouch.
Michael Crabtree, WR SF
After this preseason, there have to be serious doubts about Crabtree becoming prominent in fantasy football. He has a significant amount of talent, but he can’t stay healthy or focused it seems.
Jonathan Baldwin, WR KC
Refusing to listen to coaches and getting into a locker room fight with Thomas Jones seem like great ways to show you’ve been misunderstood and are not, in fact, a diva.
Louis Murphy, WR OAK
At one point, he looked destined for stardom. His injury, while not extremely serious, leaves him destined for mediocrity.
Brandon Jackson, RB CLE
Signing in Cleveland was bad enough, but turf toe?
Golden Tate, WR SEA
He’s done absolutely nothing to justify his draft position a year ago. While it seems unlikely he’ll be released this weekend, it’s equally unlikely the Seahawks ever get a return on their investment. Simply put, he looks lost.
Those are just a few of the players who lost significant value over the past month. There are sure to be more after an exciting weekend of roster trimming – keep it here at DLF to keep yourself up to date all weekend long!
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
