Dynasty Stock Market: Off-Season Questions – AFC
In last week’s Dynasty Stock Market, I touched on some NFC off-season storylines and questions that will be answered as the off-season progresses. This week, I turn to the AFC and there are just as many topics to cover.
Will Kenny Britt get a second chance?
After four years of battling injuries and off the field concerns, 2013 was the make or break season for Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt. The talented wide receiver’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it was unclear if he would be welcomed back to Tennessee. The past four seasons, despite all of his troubles, Britt has shown much promise and ability. Perhaps his most impressive season was the first two games of the 2011 season when Britt began the season looking like one of the best wideouts in the game. In the third game of the season though, Britt suffered a season ending injury. In fact, there were many reports that Britt was still dealing with the ramifications of that injury during his disappointing 2012 season. This year, Britt has been a non-factor to the point that he has been inactive for much of the season. Britt only has eleven receptions for ninety-six yards on the season and it is now clear that he will not be back with the team after this season.
It is unclear which teams, if any, will have interest in signing the twenty-five year old wide receiver, but it is safe to say if he does get a contract offer, it will be of the one- year “prove it” type deals. While many have given up on Britt, rightly so, I am still a believer in his talent. If he lands in the right situation, possibly New England, he could quickly regain much of his dynasty value. Before free agency begins, Britt makes a good buy low.
Does Pep Hamilton lose his job in Indianapolis?
Even though the Indianapolis Colts are on their way to a division title and the playoff spot that comes with it, their offense has disappointed this season under first year offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. The expectations were high considering Hamilton had coached quarterback Andrew Luck at Stanford, but the Colts currently rank seventeenth in total offense, eighteenth in passing offense and twentieth in rushing offense. Considering the talent on that side of the ball, those numbers are unacceptable. Much has been made about the struggles of running back Trent Richardson, but Luck has not lived up to expectations this season either.
So, even though the Colts are playoff bound, could they still part ways with their offensive coordinator? Rumors around Indianapolis say yes and that could give a boost to the offensive skill players in 2014.
How does Cleveland address their weakness at the quarterback position?
It finally looked like the Cleveland Browns had found their quarterback when Brian Hoyer took over the job for the struggling Brandon Weeden early in the season. Hoyer had two fantastic games, which coincided with the return of stud wide receiver Josh Gordon. In his third game as starter, Hoyer suffered a torn ACL that basically signaled the end of the Browns’ season. Since then, the team has flip-flopped between Weeden and Jason Campbell. While Campbell is an average backup quarterback and could be back with the team, the Weeden experiment is over and there won’t be many teams eager to sign him once he is let go by the Browns. So, what do the Browns do? Expect Hoyer to return to full strength and start at the beginning of the season. Also, I expect the Browns to add a rookie quarterback in the early part of the draft to pair with Hoyer. Depending on how training camp and pre-season action plays out, that rookie should begin the season as the backup, but should get a chance at playing time. If this is how the situation plays out, both players should be values for dynasty owners. In fact, Hoyer could potentially be found on your league’s waiver wire right now. If so, I’d consider him a speculative add while we see how the team addresses the position this off-season.
Where does Ben Tate land now that he will be leaving Houston?
The Texans have had a historically bad season and we now know it will also be the last season in Houston for talented running back Ben Tate. Tate was a hot name among dynasty owners who were of the opinion that starter Arian Foster had his the proverbial “wall.” It was somewhat easy to envision Foster going down with an injury and Tate finally getting a chance at a full-time job. Since this was the final season on Tate’s contract with Houston, that opportunity could potentially lead to a big contract with a team willing to make Tate their every down back. There was even an rumor early in the season that the Cleveland Browns planned to make a huge offer to Tate once he hit free agency.
That scenario played itself out when Foster’s season ended early with a variety of injuries. It was Tate’s job now and his best chance to earn a monster contract in free agency. Tate has averaged just sixty-two rushing yards per game since Foster went down and has three touchdowns in a six game span, with all of those coming in one game against the New England Patriots.
There are already reports that Tate will not be back, but it is unclear where he will land. We can assume that Tate will not get the huge contract he was hoping for, especially since NFL coaches and general managers are viewing running backs differently in recent years. Most teams seem more willing to draft a late round rookie back and give them a chance rather than doling out big money in a long term contract with a hot free agent. The Browns could still show interest in Tate and the Carolina Panthers could also use a player like him, depending on the status of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
Does Tennessee pull the plug on Jake Locker?
The Titans drafted quarterback Jake Locker early in the first round in 2011 and he showed some late season promise. Unfortunately, that promise has gone largely unfulfilled during his three-year career. Locker missed five games in 2012 and another nine this season. Even when he was playing, the team struggled. The team is just 8-10 in games started by Locker over the past two seasons.
The recent reports since Locker’s recent Lisfranc injury have not been kind. First, the NFL Network reports that the Titans will not be picking up the 2015 option on Locker’s current contract. Next, when asked about the team’s future, head coach Mike Munchak was not willing to tab Locker as the team’s 2014 starter. Finally, there are reports that Munchak will not be back. While that alone is not necessarily a bad sign for Locker, history tells us that in many cases, a new head coach will bring in a new quarterback as well. It is unlikely that the Titans outright releases Locker prior to the conclusion of his current contract, but they could certainly add another option through the upcoming draft. Current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick is also signed through the 2014 season, so he will almost certainly remain with the team as well.
Can Justin Blackmon clean up his act?
We all know the controversy surrounding Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon by now. While in college at Oklahoma State, Blackmon had some off-field trouble, including a DUI arrest. After a slow start to his rookie season in 2012, Blackmon finished strong and became a hot name during the past off-season. That hype died down though as news broke that Blackmon had been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season. Still though, Blackmon was a highly valued dynasty asset as owners reminded themselves of his ability and upside, especially with his new, more reasonable price tag. Blackmon returned to the team in week five and his owners were quickly rewarded as Blackmon had back-to-back huge games. Soon though, his value took another huge hit, and for good reason. Following week eight, it was announced that Blackmon had been suspended for the remainder of the season. Also, Blackmon will have to apply for reinstatement prior to the 2014 season, meaning it is no certainty that he will be back to start the season.
As should be the case when dealing with issues like this, there have been almost no updates or reports on Blackmon’s recovery since his suspension. The latest update that can be found on Rotoworld came just days after his suspension and reported that Blackmon would enter a rehabilitation facility. No matter whom you ask, there simply isn’t much information out there regarding Blackmon’s current status. If you’re a risk taker, now is the time to acquire Blackmon. As we progress through the off-season and Blackmon presumably nears his potential reinstatement, his value will only get higher, along with the cost to acquire him.
How do the Oakland Raiders handle their weakness at quarterback and running back?
The Oakland Raiders entered the 2013 season with questions surrounding their offense. Although the loss of quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t seem like a serious concern, the Raiders were left with Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor. Not surprisingly, Pryor beat out Flynn for the job and Flynn was subsequently released. Pryor began the season playing well, but was inconsistent and the Raiders were still struggling. The team opted for undrafted rookie Matt McGloin and though they were not able to completely turn things around. It’s obvious now the team will need a new signal caller.
It once seemed the Raiders were set at running back. They had playmaking veteran Darren McFadden, high upside rookie Latavius Murray and a solid backup in Rashad Jennings. McFadden has been in and out of the lineup all season battling injuries, which has been the story of his career. Murray’s season never really got started as he landed on the injured reserve list during the pre-season. Jennings has played well, but like McFadden, is a free agent following the season. It’s safe to assume McFadden will be running for a new team next year. Considering the Raiders have so many holes to fill, look for the team to re-sign Jennings and pair him with Murray for a running-back-by-committee, while they spend their money and draft picks on other positions, like quarterback.
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