NFC Rookie Wrap-up: Part One

Chris Rohrer

griffin_morrisDuring the season, the weekly Rookie Focus installment followed the progress of the 2012 rookie class as they attempted to carve out roles for themselves on their respective teams.  The Rookie Wrap-Up will summarize the progress made for these players over the course of the season and determine where they stand entering the 2013 off-season.  Team members entering free agency, the current competition and depth chart layout and any public future plans will factor into their outlook in addition to their play throughout the season.

The quarterbacks of the 2012 rookie class were covered in great detail in A New Class of Quarterback, so I will focus on the other offensive positional players.  If a player wasn’t a factor during the 2012 campaign, it’s quite possible they are one of my stashes. Without further ado, here is the Rookie Wrap-Up for the NFC East.

NFC East

Cole Beasley, WR DAL

By the end of the season, Beasley gained some playing time, albeit minor.  In week twelve he had his greatest opportunity and made the most of it with seven receptions on 13 targets.  He finished the season as the WR4/5 for the Cowboys, though Kevin Ogletree will be a free agent in the off-season.  Even if the Cowboys let Ogletree walk, Beasley will have to battle Dwayne Harris for playing time.  He could be a useful possession receiver, but with Miles Austin returning and Dez Bryant’s explosion this year, it would take a lot for him to be consistent in an offense that already has so many playmakers.

Lance Dunbar, RB DAL

Dunbar finished the season third on the depth chart, but with Felix Jones entering free agency there could be a potential backup role to be won.  Jones was largely unimpressive during his time in Dallas and never reached the lofty expectations Cowboys fans had for him.  If he were to find a new home, Dunbar would be left to fight for the role with Phillip Tanner, who both received about equal carries in the 2012 season.  Dunbar didn’t excite with his limited opportunities, so there is a decent chance that he could still be on waivers in your league.  He still has a lot to prove to us, but there is a chance he may be a handcuff for Murray owners next year.

Rueben Randle, WR NYG

Randle saw limited playing time in his rookie season, but this was in large part due to competing with Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon for snaps.  Going into the off-season, both Hixon and Barden are free agents and the Giants have a reputation for letting their third wide receiver leave via free agency and filling the void from within (see: Mario Manningham).  Best case scenario, both Hixon and Barden leave and Randle is essentially a lock to play the third wide receiver role in a high powered offense.  Worst case scenario, Barden and Hixon can be cheaply retained and are done so for insurance purposes after Hakeem Nicks struggled with lingering injuries last season.  Given this scenario, neither of the free agent receivers truly set themselves apart, and thus Randle would be given the opportunity to prove himself worth of the third wide receiver role regardless.  From week eight through the end of the season, he was getting consistent playing time and even garnered multiple targets each game.  It’s not a lot, but he was able to show off some of his athletic gifts and was occasionally used as a red zone target.

David Wilson, RB NYG

After starting the season in the doghouse with a lost fumble and essentially having his backfield duties suspended, he finally got an increased workload by the end of the season.  In the final four games, he averaged 11 carries for 62 yards and had three touchdowns over this span.  This was in large part due to injuries to both Andre Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw, but it showed that he had regained the trust of head coach Tom Coughlin.  Wilson was able to show his dynamic playmaking ability and, according to the Giants’ GM Jerry Reese, he will be given the opportunity to fight for the starting position in 2013.  Wilson has flashed every bit of big play potential and with Bradshaw never able to stay healthy (and due $4 million for the 2013 season), it’s not a long shot to imagine Wilson as the primary ball carrier as soon as next year.  Owners are no doubt already very high on Wilson following his rookie season, but this could be the last chance to buy him before he wins the starting gig and he becomes near unobtainable.

Adrien Robinson, TE NYG

Robinson had no playing time this season as Martellus Bennett emerged as the only consistent contributor at the tight end position.  Robinson was fourth on the depth chart behind Bear Pascoe and Travis Beckum.  There are many unknowns for the Giants at this position at the moment, as all three of the players ahead of Robinson on the depth chart are free agents this off-season.  Bennett is by far the most desirable of the three and it is likely that a deal will be reached between the two sides.  Coughlin believes that Bennett can be developed even further and Martellus himself has said he is willing to take a hometown discount to stay in New York.  Robinson has a decent skill set, but he is still raw and received no game experience during his rookie season.  It would be unreasonable to expect him to step into a major role next season, but maybe he can contribute in small amounts if the Giants let Pascoe and Beckum walk.

Nick Foles, QB PHI

After a solid preseason showing, Foles wasn’t expected to get much playing time during the regular season (unless you are a long time Michael Vick owner and were expecting injuries).  Well, the injury bug bit Vick again and Foles got his chance sooner than most expected.  With the Eagles well out of playoff contention, Foles was given the reins and was allowed to finish out the season as the starting quarterback even when Vick returned to full health.  As the starter he didn’t overwhelm, nor did he change the losing culture in Philadelphia.  With new head coach Chip Kelly in town, Foles’ role going forward is uncertain.  Kelly has been high on Foles since his college days, but he doesn’t fit the prototypical quarterback Kelly normally plays in his style of offense.  He said he has yet to make any decisions yet, and for the time being, Foles’ value remains up in the air.

Bryce Brown, RB PHI

After taking the fantasy world by storm with two back-to-back beastly performances in weeks twelve and thirteen, he came crashing back to earth in the season’s final games.  Although he could be a change of pace back to LeSean McCoy, there is no doubt that McCoy is one of the major focal points of the Eagles’ offense.  This won’t change under Chip Kelly, and the chance to sell high on Bryce Brown has already past, but he has the potential to contribute consistently next season.

Alfred Morris, RB WAS

In 2012, Alfred Morris overcame the odds when Head Coach Mike Shanahan decided to stick with him as the primary running back for the entire season.  Has fickle-minded Shanahan finally found his man?  At this stage, most would say yes, but now that we all finally trust him, it wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for him to pull the rug out from under us after another off-season.  Morris does have everything in a running back that Shanahan desires, and it is certainly Morris’ job to lose now.  Just remember that it is possible for him to lose it if ball security issues become a problem.  Around mid-season, Morris coughed up the ball four times.  Shanahan stuck with him, but this was when times were good.  We really never saw Morris go on a cold streak.  What happens if the Redskins and Morris start the 2013 season off slow without Robert Griffin III, and Morris has a fumble or two?  It wouldn’t really surprise me in this scenario if Shanahan started feeding it to the hot hand again.  What we do know is that Morris put up a fantastic season as the full-time starter last year and that he is the man in Washington… for now.

Kirk Cousins, QB WAS

The quarterbacks were covered in a previous rookie issue, but the article was published before the playoffs.  And in the playoffs, we all know Robert Griffin III sustained tears to his ACL and LCL, and his ability to be the week one starter is in question.  Everyone wants to point to Adrian Peterson’s miraculous comeback as evidence that Griffin can be ready, but the reality of the situation is that Peterson is the exception, not the rule.  Griffin sustained his injury a couple weeks later in the season, and it is also his second tear in the same knee.  Before the re-injury, there was a possibility for backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to be traded to a quarterback needy team for a decent draft pick, but now the Redskins will undoubtedly need him as insurance (if not for the more likely scenario that he will be starting the first six weeks of the season).  For Cousins, this is an extended opportunity to show potential future suitors that he can be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL.  With his opportunities this year he performed quite well, and if continues to play at this level he will be given an opportunity to start elsewhere when Griffin has fully recovered.