2012 Free Agency Blog

Ken Kelly

jacobs

We proudly present our 2012 Free Agency Blog.  Feel free to bookmark this page as it will be updated constantly throughout the free agency period with breakdowns of each and every relevant move.

March 28, 2012

49ERS ADD BRANDON JACOBS

Just when you thought the free agency blog was over, here we go again!

Brandon Jacobs was signed by the 49ers to a one year deal. He joins Randy Moss, Josh Johnson and Mario Manningham as significant free agent additions for San Francisco. Much like Manningham, this seems like a bit of an odd choice, but you have to figure his options were pretty limited.

Jacobs will likely be used as a short yardage and goal line back to help lighten the load on Frank Gore. Gore is no longer the elite option he once was and this news doesn’t do anything to stop the swell of dynasty owners yelling “sell” right about now.

Just don’t go too crazy here.

While Gore may not be the runner he once was, neither is Jacobs. The real threat to Gore’s fantasy viability comes in the form of Kendall Hunter, not Jacobs. While it’s possible that Jacobs takes away some touchdown opportunities, it would be Hunter who would receive the lion’s share of the carries should Gore get hurt.

The signing doesn’t help the value of Jacobs much, but that’s really no surprise – there was really no way he was going to land a starting job in free agency this year. However, it really casts doubt on the future viability of Anthony Dixon, who seems like the odd man out at the moment.

LIONS SIGN KEVIN SMITH

Kevin Smith is back for one more tour of duty with the Lions as he signed a one year deal. Smith was a very nice addition to the Lions last year when Jahvid Best went down. He’s being brought back as an insurance policy should Mikel Leshoure or Best fail to come back strong from their respective injuries.

Smith is an obvious injury risk himself and has been a fantasy tease ever since entering the league, but he belongs squarely on the radar as a player who could be used in a pinch and produce some good performances – just don’t go trading much away to get him.

RAMS ADD STEVE SMITH

It seems this free agency period has produced a lot of curious signing, but the Rams adding Steve Smith seems to make perfect sense.

For the Rams, this gives them one more experienced and productive player they can kick the tires on. Smith has had some trouble recovering from his microfracture surgery, but he was one of the NFL’s most productive receivers just a few short years ago. In PPR leagues, he was a weekly play when he was with the Giants.

For Smith, this is a great landing spot. He was buried last year in Philadelphia and now finds himself on a depth chart that doesn’t exactly look like a hotbed for talent. If he’s healthy and makes the team, he has major sleeper potential.

 March 23, 2012

COLTS SIGN DONNIE AVERY

The Colts are finally attempting to surround Andrew Luck with some weapons. After the critical re-signing of Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis is kicking the tires on Donnie Avery, signing him to a contract.

Simply put, Avery has been a mess since his rookie season, battling back from a torn ACL and bouncing from St. Louis to Tennessee.

If Avery can somehow stay healthy, he could really be a nice sleeper in dynasty leagues. There weren’t many teams in more need of receivers, so this could be a nice fit. Monitor his progress in camp and keep him in mind as you evaluate the lower part of your roster.

BRONCOS CORNER THE TIGHT END MARKET

The Denver Broncos didn’t stop at Andre Caldwell when it came to their attempts to add weapons for Peyton Manning as they added tight ends Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme to their roster. While great on paper, adding both of these tight ends throws a wrench into forecasting each of their values.

You would think that Tamme would be the most likely beneficiary here because of his familiarity with Manning, but this is just another example of teams stockpiling tight ends in an effort to match New England’s recent success. Tamme and Dreessen are far from Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, but they’re both more than capable. Remember, it was Tamme who blew up for over 600 yards in just half of a season when Dallas Clark went down.

The dual signings make it nearly impossible to predict their collective future performance, but it’s definitely a blow to the value of young Julius Thomas, who was looking like a really great sleeper for 2012.

THE BARBARIAN CALLS IT A CAREER

Those who have been in dynasty leagues for a long time remember the Summer of 2006 when Marion Barber was considered a top five commodity. After all, he was coming off a season in Dallas that featured 14 touchdowns and 654 yards on just 135 carries. He was big, strong and tough.

Now he’s retired.

At just 28 years old, Barber’s body has totally broken down. He no longer has the burst necessary to pick up yards and he basically looks like a shell of his former self. What’s troubling about his retirement is that he’s still relatively young and hasn’t been overworked in relation to many other runners out there. After all, he played seven seasons but only had 1,156 career carries. His breakdown is a classic example of why teams are so reluctant to put their eggs all in one basket in regards to the running back position.

Kind of makes you want to build around elite wide receivers, eh?

March 22, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO ADDS JOSH JOHNSON

In what seemed to be the longest engagement of the offseason, Josh Johnson has finally rejoined his former Coach Jim Harbaugh and signed on with the 49ers. Most dynasty league owners and fantasy sites will gloss over this move and deem it to be irrelevant.

That’s a mistake.

Johnson played under Harbaugh at San Diego and was a dominant college force. While his small school statistics (he had 43 touchdowns, one interception and 726 rushing yards his last season) have to be taken with a grain of salt, let’s just say he has a special place in Harbaugh’s heart.

His professional career hasn’t been that impressive thus far. He’s struggled to complete passes and has twice as many interceptions (10) as he has touchdown passes (5) in his brief three year stint with Tampa Bay. Of course, nobody has played well for the Bucs recently.

Johnson is no threat to incumbent quarterback Alex Smith, but he’ll put some serious heat on Colin Kaepernick for the backup spot in San Francisco. If Smith fails to recapture the magic of last season, this could get interesting in a hurry. Any quarterback who could be throwing to a cast of Randy Moss, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham would have a fighting chance.

Don’t be late to the party on this one.

BEARS ADD MICHAEL BUSH

In a surprising move, the Bears have signed Michael Bush to a four year deal with $14 million. The deal is a bit of a head scratcher because the Bears didn’t have an immediate need for a runner like Bush. This deal will certainly hurt Matt Forte from a contract negotiating perspective, but could hurt him from a fantasy perspective as well.

Forte is currently the Bears franchise player and they’ve been unable to work out a long term deal thus far. If he holds out, Chicago won’t exactly freak out with Bush and Kahlil Bell on the roster. In the end, the two parties should be able to work something out, but Forte is going to have to settle for less money than he likely anticipated.

In Chicago, Bush will likely become the short yardage and goal line back at best. He’s no threat to Forte as the starter, but has shown himself to be capable if needed. The move isn’t great news for his dynasty value, though. A move to a place like Cincinnati or Cleveland for a starting job would have been much more lucrative for his owners. If Forte does indeed get into camp, he’s simply going to be one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy – not what his owners wanted at all.

As far as Forte goes, this doesn’t help his value, either. Having Bush around will likely keep him fresh and help him from getting worn down, but that could easily come at the expense of some touchdown opportunities. Forte is still a very valuable commodity in fantasy football, but he’s likely not going to stay at #5 in our current rankings – that spot will likely be held by someone like Ryan Mathews or Chris Johnson here soon.

The big loser in this deal could be Kahlil Bell. He came on late last season and looked plenty capable, especially in the passing game. I’d hold on to him for now, but if and when Forte gets into camp, he’s going to be on the roster bubble in a lot of leagues.

For the Raiders, the loss of Bush is good news for Darren McFadden. However, the only thing stopping DMC from being dominant is his health – that’s certainly not going to change. If he can stay on the field, we all know the sky is the limit.

Keep an eye on the Raiders during the upcoming draft. If they fail to land someone else in free agency, Taiwan Jones and Lonyae Miller (who I’ve always liked) would be solid sleepers for 2012.

March 21, 2012

BRONCOS SIGN ANDRE CALDWELL

Get out your sleeper lists, folks. The Broncos have added Andre Caldwell to their stable of receivers. While he’s seemingly no threat to Eric Decker and certainly not one to Demaryius Thomas, any Bronco receiver needs to be monitored now that we’ve entered the Peyton Manning era in Denver.

Caldwell has been semi-productive in his career, posting 124 catches for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns in his four years in Cincinnati. While he’ll find himself no better than third on the depth chart, we’ve seen Manning give some pretty good value to seemingly obscure players before like Blair White or Jacob Tamme.

Just sayin’.

JETS FINALLY LAND TEBOW

After a day of twists and turns, the Jets finally completed a trade for Tim Tebow, thus dropping a ticking time bomb into the locker room of New York and right next to Mark Sanchez.

In a related story, the Jets are insane.

BENGALS RETAIN THEIR OWN LAW FIRM

The locker room in Cincinnati has been no stranger to law firms for the better part of the last decade. They now have their very own as they’ve signed former New England running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to a three year deal.

From a fantasy perspective, this is about as good as could be expected for BGE. He’s not a starting caliber running back, but will get a lot of work in a committee with Bernard Scott, pending the Bengals don’t add another running back via free agency or the draft.

Expect BGE to get the majority of the early and goal line carries and for Scott to be simply a change of pace back. With the Bengals offense maturing quickly, BGE has a chance for some real success. He’s not a fumbler, is an avid pass protector and a tough runner – all things the Bengals should covet with a young quarterback. Expecting close to 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns or so wouldn’t seem like too much of a stretch.

The big winners in this deal aren’t in Cincinnati, they’re in New England. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen will both have much bigger roles moving forward, assuming the Patriots don’t add another running back to the mix (always a possibility with Belichick and company). Ridley showed some real promise last year, but will have to protect the ball consistently to truly reach his potential. Vereen’s season was a disaster for the most part, but he has a chance to bounce back now as well. Ridley and Vereen will be on more than a few re-draft sleeper lists this season and are prime targets in dynasty leagues. Personally,what I’ve seen from Ridley gets me pretty excited about his prospects.

SEAN PAYTON SUSPENDED FOR THE SEASON

In the day’s second shocking move, Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended by the NFL for the entire season for his involvement in the so-called bounty scandal. What could be worse for the Saints is the loss of second round draft picks in the next two seasons – that’s equivalent to a college team losing some pretty significant scholarships.

This move does have a fantasy impact, but isn’t as destructive as some may think. It looks like Steve Spagnuolo will likely take the reins for the season and he obviously has head coaching experience.  Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael should call the plays and he also has experience doing that for the Saints. It’s a step down from Payton, but the Saints are still in pretty capable hands.

While losing Payton is going to hurt, the Saints aren’t going to suddenly go in the tank. Their production could take a hit, but I don’t see Drew Brees allowing this team to take a year off and fail to compete. Of course, they still need to get his contract situation figured out.  To me, that’s a bigger concern.  If you can get any Saints players on the cheap in a dynasty league, I’d go for it – this is a short term problem, but one that could be exploited by good dynasty owners who could take advantage of those who suddenly think the Saints are done.

Remember, think long term!

TIM TEBOW HITS BROADWAY

Throughout the past two days, the Broncos have been saying they’ll do right by Tim Tebow and send him to a situation that’s best for him. They talked about how they cared so much about him as a person and a player and gushed about how great of a kid he is.

So, they sent him to the Jets and the most dysfunctional locker room in the NFL for a fourth round pick. If you thought the Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez circus couldn’t get any more interesting, it just did.

Wow.

Make no mistake, Sanchez is the starting quarterback and will be on opening day. It’ just a curious move at best, though. Sanchez’ confidence and ego were already shaken after the Jets made a play for Peyton Manning and his lack of progress over the past few seasons has been well chronicled. It was already a make or break season for the Sanchize and he just got a whole lot more pressure put on him. Imagine what’s going to happen if he struggles out of the gate?

Tebow will likely be relegated to certain wildcat packages and be used as a Brad Smith-like player in the Jets run-oriented offense. If Sanchez doesn’t play well, he could push Drew Stanton to start, but we’re a long way from that conversation. Regardless, Tebow’s dynasty allure has hit the skids.  He’s still a player to keep on a roster in a deep league, but it’s hard to see any player (other than maybe Mike Tolbert) who’s seen their stock drop more this offseason.

The Jets and Rex Ryan seem to love attention and the circus is officially coming to town.

March 20, 2012

ALEX SMITH RE-SIGNS WITH SAN FRANCISCO

The inevitable has happened and Alex Smith has finally re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers.  While most fans in the bay area were clamoring for Peyton Manning, getting Smith back isn’t the end of the world. Had he left for Miami or Seattle while Manning was finalizing his decision, it could have been disastrous.

From a fantasy perspective, you know what you get with Smith. He could be a decent QB2 if he continues to make solid decisions within the offense, but he’s not going to lead any teams to a dynasty championship on his own. Hope isn’t lost, though. After all, he now has Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter to use on offense.

That ain’t bad, folks.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins may be scrambling for the phone number of Gus Frerotte.

DEMECO RYANS TRADED TO THE EAGLES

We haven’t focused on defense during the blog, but outside of Mario Williams signing in Buffalo, the trade of DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles could be the most significant move of the offseason in terms of IDPs.

It wasn’t long ago when Ryans was an absolute tackling machine, racking up 519 stops in his first four seasons with the Texans. Unfortunately, injuries and a change in scheme turned Ryans into an afterthought the past two years.

Ryans will immediately give Philadelphia the run stopper they’ve desperately needed in their 4-3 defense. This trade should boost Ryans’ IDP value back up into the top two tiers, if he remains healthy. The move also diminishes the potential of both Jamar Chaney and Casey Matthews, who each failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to lead the Eagles defense last season.

In Houston, keep your eye on young Darryl Sharpton who should get the starting job vacated by Ryans.

TEBOW WATCH CONTINUES

As Tebowmania gives way to Manningmania, the Broncos have fielded calls from at least six teams inquiring about the services of Tim Tebow, including the Jets and Jaguars. Expect a quick resolution as Denver wants nothing to do with having the circus stay in town. Regardless of where he ends up, Tebow’s dynasty value is currently in the tank.

In the end, I’m not sure how Jacksonville can’t get this done. Yes, they have Blaine Gabbert. Yes, they have Chad Henne. However, they also have a franchise with a dwindling fan base and are in dire need of a serious boost in interest or risk losing their team to Los Angeles – Tim Tebow is the perfect person to do just that, even if it just means selling 10,000,000 jerseys.

WARD CALLS IT QUITS AFTER 14 SEASONS

Hines Ward retired from the NFL today, citing his unwillingness to play for any team other than Pittsburgh after being released earlier this offseason.

Ward leaves the game with 1,000 career catches for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns. He’ll be remembered for some clutch catches and also some vicious “Steeler-like” blocks.

His official departure is nothing but good news for Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders. They were all ahead of Ward on the depth chart anyway, but the Steelers won’t have to use Ward in any packages to appease his ego any longer.

This could have a bit of an effect on the draft as well. The Steelers are still likely to retain Wallace, but they could be in the market for another wide receiver, so stay tuned.

March 19, 2012

DOLPHINS SETTLE FOR DAVID GARRARD

Well, the much anticipated end to Garrardwatch 2012 is finally over. After weeks of twists and turns, David Garrard has finally chosen the Miami Dolphins. The end to this saga send ripples to, well, nowhere.

Sadly, this is the best the Dolphins could do after missing out on Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn and Alex Smith. If you’re a Dolphins fan, you can’t really be thrilled.

Garrard has been highly underrated throughout his career and has a career completion rate over 60% and a positive touchdown to interception ratio of 89 to 54. That being said, Garrard is also 34 years old and has chronic back problems.

Look for the Dolphins to address the position during the draft and have an open competition. At this point, I’d expect Matt Moore to win that. He’s pretty underrated on his own and could be a low end bye week option in fantasy leagues.

If you’re Miami, you better hope that season Reggie Bush had last year wasn’t a mirage, because he’s all of a sudden your single best offensive weapon now that Brandon Marshall is gone.

So, in the end, someone DID sign with the Dolphins.  Take that all you haters who said the ‘Fins couldn’t get anyone –  You got Garrard!

MANNING CHOOSES BRONCOS

Multuple media outlets are reporting that Peyton Manning is going to be the next quarterback of the Denver Broncos. This will effectively end a saga that has taken lots of twists and turns.

From a fantasy perspective, we’ve already outlined what this will do with the Broncos (read below from March 13th), but this obviously gives players like Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker a huge boost.  The Broncos are rumored to be looking at signing Dallas Clark as well.

The 49ers will have to work quickly now to re-sign Alex Smith and could find themselves in a bidding war (yes, a bidding war for Alex Smith) with the Dolphins. If Miami fails to land Smith, they could be looking at another year with Matt Moore, or even David Garrard. Moore is highly underrated, so that may not be as tragic as people are letting on.

Jake Locker owners can rejoice because it looks like he’ll have a legitimate chance to start this season. I’m on record saying it would have been good for him to sit a while longer, but he certainly has talent.

The Tim Tebow saga is now going to have another chapter.  As I said on the 13th, the Broncos had no choice but to get Manning if they truly felt Tebow couldn’t develop and needed to escape the madness. It looks like they’ve done just that. Would a team like Jacksonville, who desperately needs to rejuvenate a fan base, look to add him? It’s hard to say, but Manningwatch will now turn quickly to Tebowwatch.

PANTHERS SIGN MIKE TOLBERT TO A FOUR YEAR DEAL

Now it’s getting REALLY fun!

The Panthers have signed former Chargers running back Mike Tolbert to a four year deal, adding him to a depth chart that already includes DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson.

Say what!?!

Of all the places Tolbert could go, this seems the most curious. He was looking for a starting job somewhere and obviously couldn’t find it. However, there are only so many carries that can go around in one place and Carolina already had trouble finding ways to keep Williams and Stewart happy. Meanwhile, the Chargers inability to retain Tolbert does nothing but increase the value of Ryan Mathews, who has a supreme opportunity to join fantasy’s elite.

You have to figure this puts Stewart on the trade block. He’s in the last year of his rookie deal and the Panthers don’t need to re-sign him now that they have Tolbert in the mix. Stewart won’t turn 25 until later this month and is a proven runner in the NFL, as indicated by his career per carry average of 4.8. Last season he had a career high of 5.4 yards per carry and showed his ability in the passing game, catching 47 passes for 413 yards, both career highs. Teams like Cleveland will surely want to kick the tires and see if the Panthers are interested in a second round pick for Stewart.

If Stewart is retained, this is a mess for all the running backs in Carolina. It was nearly impossible to predict how carries were going to shake out last year and this would make it even more confusing with Tolbert added to the mix. With Cam Newton taking much of the goal line work, it’s hard to say what kind of a role Tolbert would even have. He’s an underrated pass catcher and solid short yardage back, but this is a mess.

If the Panthers choose to trade Stewart or Williams (unlikely with his contract), Tolbert’s value would creep up a little more, but this is a blow to his dynasty value regardless. At best, he’s going to be in a committee attack with a quarterback who does a lot of the dirty work inside the red zone.

Ugh.

March 18, 2012

MATT FLYNN LANDS WITH SEATTLE

In a surprising development, the Seahawks have beaten out the Dolphins for the services of Matt Flynn, as he’s agreed to a 3 year, $26 million contract with Seattle. The guaranteed money is right around $10 million, so that’s a very low risk, potentially high reward investment. Most figured Flynn would end up reuniting with former Coach Joe Philbin in Miami, but Pete Carroll and company must have done a pretty nice job of selling the Emerald City.

Flynn’s addition in Seattle should mercifully end the Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst era. It’s a relatively big plunge for the Seahawks, but one they had to take after missing out Peyton Manning – they simply weren’t going to win any time soon with Jackson or even rookie Ryan Tannehill. They have to cross their fingers that Flynn outplays Jackson in the preseason and starts in week one. Based on what we’ve seen of Jackson lately, that shouldn’t be a problem.

In Seattle, Flynn will have a chance to eventually develop into a QB2. After all, Aaron Rodgers recently claimed he was one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the league. Time will tell on that one, but Seahawk fans have to hope he’s the answer at the most important position in football – just don’t expect to see the record breaking explosion he had for the Packers in week seventeen last year. The offense will still run through Marshawn Lynch, but Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, Zach Miller and the rest of the crew will now have at least a fighting chance.

This is a brutal blow to the Dolphins. After missing out on Manning themselves, most thought Flynn was a sure to sign with Miami. As it turns out, they low-balled him and he called him on it. Now they have to turn their attention to signing Alex Smith, David Garrard or looking to the draft.

If it’s Smith, the 49ers better hope Peyton Manning signs with them, otherwise we may be looking at the start of the Colin Kaepernick era.

March 17, 2012

SUPER MARIO WANTS ANOTHER SUPER BOWL

The 49ers are making it awfully tough for Peyton Manning to say no.

After previously adding Randy Moss to the mix, the 49ers have now signed Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham to a two year deal. The suddenly potent San Francisco offense now boasts Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Moss and Manningham to complement arguably the league’s best defense.

Not bad.

Unfortunately, the collective groan you’re hearing is from Manningham’s dynasty owners. While this move is great for the 49ers and does nothing but upgrade their offense, you can’t help but be disappointed from a fantasy standpoint. Manningham was close to a deal with the Rams that would have made him their number one receiver for the time being, but now joins a very talented group where he may not even start.

Ugh.

On the bright side, Moss is only on a one year deal, Crabtree has never been ultra-consistent and Manningham certainly won’t command the defensive attention he would have had in St. Louis or elsewhere as a number one target. It’s just very tough to see him producing any type of consistently great fantasy numbers with Alex Smith at the helm. Bring in Manning and it could be a different story, though.

Meanwhile, the Rams have been spurned again and are still looking for help at wide receiver. As free agency begins to dry up, it’s looking more and more likely that Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State may just be heading to St. Louis in the upcoming draft.

LLOYD FINALLY SIGNS WITH NEW ENGLAND

As expected, Brandon Lloyd is joining his former Coach Josh McDaniels in New England. Lloyd posted the best season of his career when McDaniels was coaching the Broncos, posting 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010. With McDaniels running the offense for the Patriots, Lloyd hopes to find that magic once again.

Lloyd has been one of the most polarizing figures in fantasy football over the last decade. Once labeled a bust, he exploded for that amazing season, then has found it tough to have repeated success due to injuries and poor quarterback play. In his ten year career, he has 4,784 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns – about one third of his career production came in that magical year.

He gives New England an immediate vertical threat and should do what Chad Ochocinco failed to do last season – stretch the field. Simply put, it’s the best possible landing spot for him.

Just don’t go crazy.

The Patriots offense isn’t suddenly going to go through Lloyd. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are still going to be Tom Brady’s primary targets and could actually benefit even more from having Lloyd around. Make no mistake, this is not Randy Moss we’re talking about, either. He’ll need to learn the offense (something Ochocinco couldn’t do), then find a way to fit in. His presence could make Deion Branch nearly non-existent if he even re-signs and likely spells the end of the tenure of Ochocinco.

Expecting a repeat of Lloyd’s 2010 season would be a mistake, but expecting another 1,000 yard campaign with a chance at 8-10 scores likely wouldn’t be. Even if Brady was to throw for 40 touchdowns next season, you’d have to figure the combination of Wes Welker, Gronkowski and Hernandez would be good for 30 of those.

BRADY QUINN SIGNS ON WITH THE CHIEFS

The Chiefs have been very busy this offseason and have now added Brady Quinn to the mix at quarterback. Let’s be very realistic here – Quinn has been a bust so far in his career after stops in Cleveland and Denver. Let’s also be realistic on a second front – Matt Cassel isn’t very good.

The Chiefs obviously hope Cassel can have a re-emergence this season and become a productive player as he was in 2010, but he’s been mostly a disappointment after coming over from New England and has yet to play an entire season or have a completion percentage of 60% or better in his three years with the Chiefs.

Quinn is certainly just some insurance in case Cassel continues to struggle taking the next step in his career, but don’t be shocked if he plays at some point this season. He already knows Head Coach Romeo Crennel from their days in Cleveland and he was said to have improved a lot last season in Denver. If Cassel does a face plant or gets hurt again, the team could turn to Quinn.

Time will tell if Quinn can ever become a serviceable player, but this is a good landing spot for him. He’s certainly somebody to monitor in the upcoming preseason.

ANTHONY GONZALEZ RESURFACES WITH THE PATS

It wasn’t long ago when Anthony Gonzalez was looked upon like a long term Brandon Stokley – a player in the Colts offense capable of putting up monster numbers in PPR leagues. After playing in just two games over the past four seasons, he was completely off the fantasy radar.

Today, we see a little blip again.

Gonzalez has signed a deal with New England in an effort to resurrect his career. We wouldn’t go overboard on this front, but remember, he was once a first round draft choice. If he makes the team, he could be a player who could emerge again. The odds of him making an impact again are obviously small, but any Patriots wide receiver is worth monitoring.

SCHILENS SIGNS WITH THE J-E-T-S

Lost in the shuffle of some recent free agent signings was Chaz Schilens agreeing with the Jets on a one year deal worth just under $800,000. The financial risk is small for the Jets, as is the chance of Schilens actually making it through a season without getting hurt.

Schilens isn’t lacking talent and big play ability, but he’s never been able to stay healthy for a legitimate stretch of time. You have to wonder if the Jets are done looking for wideouts because this would be a pretty questionable second option to Santonio Holmes.

Many experts are saying Schilens fantasy value takes a huge hit going to New York since they don’t exactly run a vertical offense, but I don’t necessarily agree. Whether it’s Oakland, New York or any place else, the key for Schilens is simply staying on the field. He’s worth a flier in deep dynasty leagues as long as the Jets don’t continue stockpiling receivers.

March 16, 2012

TOLBERT LOOKING ELSEWHERE

Three running backs I’m especially interesting seeing sign are BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Mike Tolbert and Michael Bush.

Tolbert looks to be leaving San Diego after being unable to reach a deal today and reports are circulating that the Steelers and Panthers are interested, along with the Chiefs. Any of these would have some pretty significant ramifications.

Green-Ellis was said to be visiting Cincinnati, but nothing seems imminent there, either. The Patriots are still in play and owners of both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are interested in him going elsewhere.

Things have been eerily quiet on the Michael Bush front. He was said to have met with both the Bears and Bengals this week, but news has been pretty tough to come by.

Regardless, all these players signing are going to have an impact one way or another in dynasty leagues. We wait with our fingers crossed that their signings aren’t destructive to our collective teams.

MANNING NARROWING DOWN HIS TEAMS

OK, enough of this Eddie Royal and Martellus Bennett business!

Peyton Manning is working out for the Broncos today at Duke’s indoor practice facility. While this in no way means he’s definitely going to sign with the Broncos, it does mean they’re a finalist. Considering they’ve watched Tim Tebow throw the ball over the past six months, the workout will likely be even more impressive.

Owners of Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker have to be crossing their fingers this morning. For deeper analysis of what Manning would bring to Denver, scroll below to March 13th.

We should know if the Cardinals are out of it today as Kevin Kolb’s bonus is due. If it’s picked up today, they’ve likely been told they’re out of the running.

March 15, 2012

CHARGERS SIGN EDDIE ROYAL, TRUMP REDKSINS

Eddie Royal has signed on with the Chargers, inking a three-year, $13.5 million contract. The money is very palatable for San Diego and they have to hope Royal can rekindle a career that has gone really downhill after he posted 91 catches for 980 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2008.

Royal will help out in the return game and fill in as a slot receiver for the Chargers, making him simply a sleeper at this point. The Chargers lost Vincent Jackson, but now boast an offense with a receiving corps of Vincent Brown, Malcom Floyd, Robert Meachem and Royal to pair with All Pro tight end Antonio Gates – that’s a pretty decent recovery.

Meanwhile, the Redskins can’t be happy as they looked to have Royal all but locked up two days ago. They’ve tried to add some weapons for RGII but have ended up with only Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan at this point.

Color me unimpressed.

BOSS JOINS THE CHIEFS

Kevin Boss is staying in the AFC West and has joined up with the Kansas City Chiefs on a three year, $9 million deal.

On paper, it’s an odd fit with the impending return of Tony Moeaki this season. It seems after the success the Patriots had with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, it’s beginning a trend of teams loading up on quality tight ends. You’ll recall the Vikings signed John Carlson earlier this week to pair with Kyle Rudolph.

You have to figure Moeaki has more talent and upside than Boss, making him a better dynasty league stash, but he also has a checkered injury history. In fact, the presence of Boss is going to really help ease Moeaki make into the lineup. Regardless, it’s going to be tough for either of these players to be quality fantasy plays for a while.

March 14, 2012

GIANTS SIGN MARTELLUS BENNETT

After four years on the bench in reality and fantasy, Martellus Bennett is finally getting his big chance by signing a one year, $2.5 million deal with the Giants. Even though Calvin Johnson got 53 times as much money from Detroit, this signing is still relevant.

Those who have been around dynasty leagues for a while know Bennett pretty well. Labeled as a sleeper in virtually every season, Bennett has been mostly a disappointment while playing behind Jason Witten in Dallas. In his four years as a Cowboy, he’s produced 85 catches, 846 yards and just four scores.

In New York, it looks like he’ll get a chance to start and play a primary role in the G-Men’s offense. Bennett is certainly not going to get looks ahead of the likes of Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz, but he’s still going to have a chance to make an impact and score a long term deal around this time next season.

Let’s go ahead and hesitantly label Bennett as a sleeper for the upcoming season.  Again.

BACKUP QUARTERBACKS GO QUICKLY

Jason Campbell (Chicago), Kyle Orton (Dallas) and David Carr (New York Giants) were all quickly signed as free agency started.

It’s worth mentioning because Campbell and Orton are big upgrades over the former backups in Chicago and Dallas, respectively. Each could step in and produce quality numbers if Jay Cutler or Tony Romo was to get hurt. They should be on the radar of contending teams or as a handcuff if you’re reliant on Cutler or Romo.

However, if you’re thinking any of these players are going to cause any type of quarterback competition or controversy, you’re going to be disappointed.

MEGATRON GETS MEGADEAL

Lost in much of the free agent news today was the fact the Lions signed Calvin Johnson to an extension for seven years and $132 million ($60 million guaranteed) that will keep him in a Lions uniform until 2019. That’s good for the biggest deal in history.

They got a bargain.

Owners of Johnson and Matt Stafford knew this was on the horizon, but it’s a relief to have it official. Johnson has proven he’s one of the most explosive athletes the NFL has ever seen and will look to build upon his monster season that saw him post 96 catches, 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns.

This signing cements Stafford as a top five dynasty quarterback and locks Calvin at his rightful spot towards the top of the board when it comes to start up leagues. In fact, if you took him first overall, it could be tough to argue.

If you’re a Lions fan, you just have to hope he doesn’t join Barry Sanders on the list of elite Detroit players never to win the Super Bowl.

CHIEFS ADD PEYTON HILLIS

One of the first running back dominoes has fallen as Peyton Hillis has opted for the KCC instead of the CIA and signed a one year, $3 million deal with the Chiefs.

At first glance, Jamaal Charles owners may be freaking out and bailing on the former top ten dynasty asset, thinking Hillis is going to be a realistic threat to his job.

Stop.

The contract itself should give Charles owners some relief as it’s only a one year deal. Hillis is being brought in to essentially be a better version of Thomas Jones as a goal line, short yardage and change of pace back. There’s even talk the Chiefs are still bringing in Mike Tolbert for a visit. Signing Tolbert on a longer term deal would be more concerning than having Hillis in the fold for one year. This simply provides some insurance for Charles as he recovers from his torn ACL and gives the Chiefs another legitimate runner. No offense, Jackie Battle.

Charles was never going to be an every down back and has proven in the past that he can be very effective with fewer touches than most running backs. The concern with Charles remains more focused on his injury, not the presence of Hillis. If you want to downgrade him a smidge because Hillis is more proven than the other backs on the roster, that’s fine – just don’t go overboard here.

As for Hillis, his value today is a far cry from where it was just a couple of seasons ago. After wearing down and being relatively ineffective at times, he now finds himself as simply a “thunder” compliment to a “lightning” component in Charles. As it stands, he’ll likely still get some red zone carries, but his owners had to be hoping for a better spot than this. In fact, he has to be seriously regretting turning down the offers he had on the table from the Browns last year.

Hillis is currently the #39 RB in our composite rankings, but that ranking will dip here in our next update. He hasn’t been durable and now finds himself in a less than ideal fantasy situation. If Tolbert signs, this turns into a nightmare scenario for him.

This move also makes the top half of the draft pretty interesting. The Chiefs and Browns have both been linked to Alabama’s Trent Richardson and this move would likely take the Chiefs out of the mix. The Browns have a serious need at running back and need to be monitored closely here in the next few days. They’ve been kicking the tires on a number of backs and have even been linked to Ben Tate as a possible trade target.

Stay tuned.

JAGS ADD CHAD HENNE AND LAURENT ROBINSON

The Jaguars entered the free agent derby today and made two important signings in wide receiver Laurent Robinson and quarterback Chad Henne. Robinson scored a to a five-year, $32.5 million contract with $14 million in guaranteed money while Henne signed a two year deal.

Let’s start with Henne.

For my money, this is a great landing spot for him. He would have ended up as a backup in virtually every other destination he would have chosen, outside of possibly Seattle. In Jacks0nville he’ll start out as the clear backup Blaine Gabbert. However, unlike many other places he could have landed, Henne has a realistic chance for playing time for the Jaguars.

For his career, Henne has a career completion percentage of over 60% to go along with 31 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He was much maligned for becoming a check down artist and being afraid to throw down the field in fear of making the crucial turnover. He’ll certainly have to break those habits to ever be successful.

What works in Henne’s favor is the awful play of Gabbert last season, who looked like anything but an NFL caliber signal caller in his rookie season. There’s little doubt the Jags will give Gabbert every chance to succeed, but he’ll need to make some big strides in year two. His average completion was only good for an average of 5.36 yards and that’s just not going to get it done.

In the end, Gabbert is still the guy to own for the Jags. However, if I owned him, I’d strongly consider adding Henne to my bench in case he can’t progress quickly into a serviceable player. Henne could have a chance at a rejuvenation sooner rather than later and those kind of players are always nice to stash away.

In related news, the end of Henne’s hunt for a team should expedite the journey of Matt Flynn, especially since the Seahawks were said to be very interested in both Henne and Flynn. In the end, Flynn may end up choosing between the Seahawks and possibly the Browns.

That brings us to Robinson.

The money is pretty amazing for a guy who was completely off the radar at this time last year. After posting exactly 1,000 yards and four scores in his first four seasons with Atlanta and St. Louis, Robinson latched on with Dallas (after a brief stint with the Chargers) and posted 54 catches, 828 yards and 11 touchdowns filling in for an injured Miles Austin.

The Jaguars receiving corps was just terrible last season. Mike Thomas was a hot name going into the season after posting 820 yards in 2010, but responded with just 44 catches, 415 yards and one touchdown. The rest of the crew consists of guys like Chastin West, Jarett Dillard, Cecil Shorts and Taylor Price – that group makes the Redskins new batch of wideouts look like Jerry Rice and John Taylor.

This was one of the few places Robinson could have signed where he would expected to serve as the primary option. He’ll give the Jags a good red zone target and a legitimate receiving threat. It’s tough to say what the future holds for him, though. I’m always very leery of the one year wonder who lands the big free agent contract. As we’ve discussed, the Jaguars passing offense also leaves a lot to be desired. You’d expect it’s safe to say his catches and yards should increase, but his touchdowns likely won’t.

In dynasty circles, the question being asked is if it’s possible for a player who was the third or fourth option on a team to sign a new contract as a number one target and actually lose value? 

We’re about to find out!

EAGLES SIGN DESEAN JACKSON TO LONG-TERM DEAL

The Eagles have signed DeSean Jackson to a  to a five-year, $51 million contract with $15 million in guaranteed money. Jackson had previously stated that he’d play under the franchise tag, but his ability to not act like a total knucklehead for a grand total of two months has paid off.

There’s little doubt that Jackson is a bit of a “one trick pony,” but that trick can be quite a spectacle as he remains one of the NFL’s most explosive players. There are major questions about Jackson after he spent much of last season sulking on the sidelines and alligator arming passes that came his way.

Philadelphia is obviously hoping this deal is truly the magic potion that returns Jackson to his pre-2011 form where he was a more prominent weapon for the Eagles. Jeremy Maclin will always get his share of balls, but Jackson should have a shot at another 1,000 yard season that features a nice little handful of long touchdowns from Michael Vick.

The Eagles are making a $15 million wager that it happens.  Feel lucky?

VIKINGS SIGN JOHN CARLSON

The Vikings jumped into the free agent frenzy and signed former Seahawk TE John Carlson to a  five-year, $25 million deal, with $11 million guaranteed. It’s a bit of a surprising move considering the Vikings already have a young TE in Kyle Rudolph. It’s been said they’ve wanted to run an offense featuring two tight ends, but it’s hard to see this tandem looking like the next Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Carlson missed last season with a shoulder injury and you likely remember him getting his bell rung and suffering a head and neck injury against the Bears in the Seahawks mini playoff run a couple of years ago. He showed promise early in his career, but this signing is a bit of a head scratcher. Carlson is certainly back on the radar as a player who could be regarded as a bit of a sleeper.

As far as Rudolph goes, this dampens his chances of being an every down featured TE. He still has good value, but his chances of emerging into a relevant every week fantasy player have been minimized.

At least the Vikings have cornered the market on former Notre Dame tight ends!

March 13, 2012

MANNING DECISION LOOMS LARGE

It looks as if Peyton Manning has his list narrowed down to the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals, though nobody can really be sure at this point. Regardless, his upcoming decision is going to have major ramifcations here shortly. We covered the impact he’d have in Arizona in a recent article, but what about the other teams?

If Manning signs in Denver, things are going to get interesting in a hurry. Personally, I think the Broncos feel like they need him for more than one reason. In my mind, signing Manning would give them two things – a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl and a golden parachute to get out from Tebowmania.

I’m convinced at this point that John Fox and John Elway aren’t convinced that Tim Tebow can develop into the player they want him to be. In fact, it’s quite possible they threw him into the fire last season expecting him to fail miserably and prove to the fan base that he can’t be the hero they thought he could be.

It backfired.

Tebowmania is running rampant in Denver and Peyton Manning is the only player they could possibly bring in who could quiet the maniacs, so to speak. If Manning was brought in and a team like Jacksonville (who is absolutely desperate to rejuvenate a dying fan base) was to offer them something for Tebow, I have no doubt they’d take it and run. If Manning was to fail in his attempt to win a Super Bowl, ownership could never be faulted for not trying. It’s a winning scenario for Management.

Back to Manning, though.

If he was to join the Broncos, Demaryius Thomas would be in line for a major boost. I’m the first to say it looks like I was completely wrong about Thomas. He’s a medical miracle and has beaten the odds of coming back from what should have been a career altering (or ending) injury. He looked great at the end of the year and would benefit greatly from a more accurate passer and an offense rebuilt to be pass heavy.

I’d also love Eric Decker’s potential in this scenario. Decker is poised to break out and become a household name – Manning’s addition would put him on the fast track.

If Peyton decides to return to his college roots and join the Titans, it’s going to be an odd fit. It seems that the owner is the one really pushing for him as the coaches and front office seem more than content to stick with the plan of moving Jake Locker into the starting lineup and move Matt Hasselbeck to the sideline mentor role.

With Manning in Titan blue, many dynasty leaguers will immediately want to bail on Locker, but I think that would be a huge mistake. While his short term value would disintegrate, he’d be in an Aaron Rodgers-like situation where he could sit back and learn from one of the best offensive minds the game has ever seen. We at DLF are from the Northwest and would be the first to tell you Locker needs that time to develop, regardless of his performance in limited duty last season.

If Manning is a Titan next season, you’d have to love the potential of both Kenny Britt and Jared Cook. Britt is said to be ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery and was an absolute monster before getting hurt. If he can post those impressive numbers with Hasselbeck, what could he do with Manning? As far as Cook goes, it looks like he’s finally turning his potential into production. Manning would do nothing but speed up that process as well. Nate Washington would also have a realistic chance of a repeat season.

So, we sit and wait.

CHARGERS REPLACE VJAX WITH ROBERT MEACHEM

We knew the Saints would likely lose Robert Meachem, but few thought San Diego would be his likely landing spot. However, that’s the case as the Chargers signed the enigmatic wideout to a to a four-year, $25.9 million contract, with a whopping $14 million of that in guaranteed money.

For Meachem, this is a dream scenario. After being a highly regarded first round pick out of Tennessee in 2008, Meachem mostly underachieved in his four years in New Orleans, posting career totals of 141 catches, 2,269 yards and 23 touchdowns. While those numbers aren’t awful, you have to consider he had all the opportunities in the world playing in one of the league’s great offenses.

In San Diego, Meachem will have a re-birth to his career. The Chargers obviously weren’t quite ready to go with Malcom Floyd and Vincent Brown as their starters, so they worked quickly to land Meachem. Make no mistake, they plan on him playing a huge role. Hopefully Brown owners enjoyed those four hours of bliss while he was penciled in as a starter. He still retains a lot of value as a young and promising player, but his role should be similar to last season’s for now.

There’s no doubt that Meachem has all the talent in the world, especially in the speed department. He’s just never been able to show the consistency needed to be a dependable and trusted key player on offense. He’ll get that chance with one of the league’s best quarterbacks. It’s just hard to say if he can really take advantage of it.

Meachem’s signing is good news for Philip Rivers, Ryan Mathews and Antonio Gates. Even if all he can do is keep the defense honest, that’s a boost to all of them. Without the threat of quality receivers, the Chargers were running the risk of having defenses really stack the box against them. Meachem’s presence should help stop that from happening and open up some passing lanes.

As for his dynasty value, Meachem gets a really nice boost with the move.  He’s currently ranked as the #59 wide receiver in our combined rankings – expect him to move up as many as twenty spots with the move. Of all the players who were winners in regards to fantasy value in dynasty leagues today, Meachem is likely at the top of the list. Just don’t go completely overboard because he does have a spotty track record.

The big losers?

You have to feel bad for the Bills. They wanted to sign both Meachem and Mario Williams on the first night and didn’t land either one.

COLTS RE-SIGN REGGIE WAYNE

For those of you thinking the Brandon Marshall trade was a shocker, welcome to Tuesday night. Reggie Wayne has surprisingly re-signed with Indianapolis for three years and a reported $17.5 million.

Say what!?!

For the past couple of months, Wayne was linked to Arizona, Miami, Denver and just about every other place that Peyton Manning was visiting.  In the end, the Colts decided to give future quarterback Andrew Luck somebody to throw to for the next couple of seasons.

While on the surface many may think this is bad news for Reggie Wayne and his fantasy value since he’ll be away from Manning for the rest of his career, it’s actually quite the opposite. Had Wayne gone to just about any other place and followed Manning, he would have likely been the number two target against the likes of Larry Fitzgerald or Demaryius Thomas. In Indianapolis, he’ll remain the top target and salvage a lot of his fantasy value.

For Andrew Luck, this is huge. The Colts were on the verge of leaving the cupboard so bare that they were going to risk Luck’s development and confidence in the early stages of his career. While Wayne is no longer the player he once was, he’ll surely help the Indianapolis ship from completely sinking.

Wayne was able to muster 960 yards and four scores last season with the likes of Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky and Kerry Collins “throwing” him the ball, snapping a streak of seven straight seasons with 1,000 yards. With Luck at the helm, Wayne should start a new streak of 1,000 yard seasons here in the twilight of his career and could hold value as high as a WR2 next season if Luck develops quickly.

BUCS SIGN VINCENT JACKSON

As expected, Tampa Bay has agreed to terms with Vincent Jackson a reported five-year, $55 million contract, including $26 million guaranteed. The Bucs were rumored to be in play for Jackson for weeks now and they wasted no time giving Josh Freeman a new weapon to throw to. It’s a good fit for Jackson and Tampa Bay. This gives them a vertical threat they’ve been lacking and a true number one wide receiver.

From a fantasy perspective, this is creates a bit of a mess. The value of Jackson takes a bit of a hit since he’ll no longer be catching passes from Philip Rivers. He’s currently ranked at #17 in our dynasty rankings, but he’ll likely move down a notch or two with this news. Tampa Bay is expected to run a much more run heavy offense and his opportunities likely won’t come as often as they did in San Diego.

On the flip side, this is fantastic for Josh Freeman. After a disastrous 2011 campaign, Freeman has no excuses this season now that he has an electric new weapon. Needless to say, this is a make or break season for young Freeman and it’s time for him to stop regressing and display the type of poise and accuracy we saw in 2010.

This signing is really bad news for the owners of Mike Williams. There were rumblings the Bucs no longer viewed him as a potential number one receiver and this just confirms that sentiment. The Jackson signing, along with reports that Williams was partying and not paying attention in meetings last season, is going to send his stock tumbling. He’s now a possession receiver who needs a serious bounce back campaign to be considered even close to a potential WR2 again. In reality, he’s a WR3 or WR4 and his value lies mostly in PPR leagues. That rookie campaign of his seems like a very distant memory.

Arrelious Benn also can’t be thrilled with this news. He’s going to become a very situational player and the promise we saw from Benn is going to really be capped for a bit. He certainly belongs on a roster, but this throws some cold water on any big expectations his owners would have had for next season. Preston Parker and Dezmon Briscoe are likely headed to the waiver wire in most shallow dynasty leagues.

From the Chargers perspective, losing Jackson can’t be great for Rivers. He’ll be looking for a bounce back campaign of his own and will find the sledding a little tougher with VJax around. It should lead to some serious opportunities for Malcom Floyd and youngster Vincent Brown. There’s little doubt that Brown will be on the top of most sleeper lists for 2012, but readers of DLF have been talking about him for a year now.  Old news for our faithful around these parts!

REDSKINS ADD WEAPONS FOR RGIII

The Washington Redskins were rumored to be on the prowl for Vincent Jackson this offseason, but their plans have obviously been altered in a big way.

First, the NFL took away a huge chunk of their cap space for the way they handled their contracts in the uncapped year. This took away their ability to offer Jackson the monster deal they were expected to. In addition, it looks like Jackson is on the verge of signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers.

The Redskins didn’t wait long to re-group and go to “Plan B.”

Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan have reportedly been signed by the Redskins and they’re also on the cusp of signing former Bronco Eddie Royal.

Update: Eddie Royal’s signing is NOT official as of yet.

Am I alone in finding this a little underwhelming?

Garcon is a good player, but far from a true WR1 in reality or fantasy. Royal is a solid contributor in the slot and could make for a nice addition. Morgan, if signed, is a solid blocker and is said to be regarded highly around the league as a player with untapped potential.

Of all the players they brought in, Garcon certainly has the most fantasy appeal. He should come close to reaching his numbers from last season and could push for 1,000 yards and 6-8 touchdowns depending on how good the quarterback play is. He’ll step in and be the top target for likely draft pick Robert Griffin III, but this is far from a prolific bunch. Santana Moss looks like he’ll be on the way out and this is horrible news for the value of Leonard Hankerson.

It looks like the Griffin era begins with Roy Helu, Evan Royster, Garcon, Royal (possibly), Morgan and Fred Davis as the offensive firepower.

I doubt the Giants are losing sleep.

BRANDON MARSHALL TRADED TO CHICAGO

In a stunning move, the Dolphins have traded Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for a pair of third round picks. The move reunites Marshall with his former quarterback, Jay Cutler, and has major dynasty implications.

For Marshall, color me skeptical.  He enjoyed a lot of success with Cutler when they were in Denver, including two 100 catch seasons and was targeted more than any receiver in the league. While on the surface this may look like a boost to his value, it’s hard to get too excited. Chicago hasn’t had a 1,000 yard season put up by a receiver since Marty Booker pulled one out back in 2002. Part of that is due to the lack of talent they’ve had, but part of that is also due to the windy conditions they play in as well.

It’s tough to downgrade Marshall too much because he’ll still be the clear cut number one receiver on a team with a talented quarterback. He should be expected to put up his sixth straight 1,000 yard season and break that streak of mediocrity put up by the Bears receiving corps over the last decade. However, if you’re jumping out of your shoes and thinking Marshall is going to be substantially better than he has been over the past few years, you’re likely going to be disappointed.

On the other hand, this is a clear boost to Jay Cutler. For the first time since his trade from Denver, he’ll be given a bona fide receiving target worthy of his attention. Cutler has to be breathing a major sigh of relief. While he’s still not QB1 quality, this helps cement his status as a quality QB2.

The Bears receving corps, including Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester should all be downgraded a smidge.  However, if you were reliant on any of these players in your league, you were already in a heap of trouble.

As far as Miami goes, this move is a real head scratcher. It was rumored that Peyton Manning wanted no part of Marshall, but I’d also say he wants no part of a receiving corps that’s made up of Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Clyde Gates, either. The Dolphins are now going to likely be much more active in their pursuit of free agent wide receivers or target one in the upcoming draft. As one of our astute readers pointed out, they could even target Justin Blackmon and move up in the draft as part of a trade package for their first round selection.

Regardless, this is a bombshell.

ken kelly