Staying put
Silva’s excellent free agent list takes a few big hits every day. None of this is a surprise.
NFL teams always keep the players they want, and the bountiful free agent lists of February look thinner come March. It would have been a bigger surprise if guys like Ray Rice, Matt Forte, Arian Foster, Fred Davis, Jermichael Finley, and Marshawn Lynch were able to change teams.
$18 million guaranteed for Lynch – if those numbers hold up – doesn’t make a lot of sense. You can always find a running back, and it’s only worth paying that kind of money to the truly special ones. Even those guys (Chris Johnson) often aren’t worth it.
Staying in Seattle was the best scenario for Lynch’s fantasy value. The Seahawks see him as a 300-carry back. They will want to get their money’s worth out of him over the next couple of years. Translation: They will run him into the ground.
Lynch catches the ball just enough not to hurt you. While Lynch may not be worth the real life money, he’ll be one of the safer RB2 picks in 2012 because he should get the ball so much. Even if his yards-per-carry average is low, Lynch can rack up yards.
There aren’t enough true “primary” backs. Right or wrong, that’s how the Seahawks view Lynch.
Finally …
1. Vincent Jackson has to be thrilled that DeSean Jackson, Stevie Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, and Wes Welker are off the market or expected to be off the market. Jackson will make a killing.
2. One of the buried nuggets of the weekend on Rotoworld: The Bucs don’t see Mike Williams as a true No. 1 receiver. I agree: At best, he’s a 1A. It’s not a good sign for his dynasty owners. Tampa could be a dark horse in the Vincent Jackson sweepstakes.
3. Staying in Buffalo was the best scenario for Stevie Johnson. He wouldn’t necessarily be a No. 1 receiver elsewhere. His skill set is unique, but Johnson doesn’t run by people. Chan Gailey runs a wideout-friendly offense, and should keep Stevie topping 1,000 yards and getting lots of red zone chances.
4. The bounty controversy shouldn’t have an impact on fantasy football. Maybe it depletes the Saints defense early in the season. That’s about it.
We knew the moment was coming and yet it's still jarring. Peyton Manning and the Colts' divorce will officially occur Wednesday, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Peyton Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay are expected to attend what is sure to be an awkward, emotional press conference on Wednesday. And then the fun starts.
Be thankful, Saints: Manning will dominate news from now until free agency officially starts on March 13. There will be players in other cities getting released, and long-term deals worked out. They will all be background noise compared to one of the game’s all-time greats finding a new team.
The recent YouTube video that surfaced of Manning throwing helped answer one of my biggest questions about this process. When can Manning sign?
I feared that he wouldn’t want to sign or teams wouldn’t pay full market value until everyone was sure Manning was going to play in 2012. It appears that Manning can show enough right now to get teams to jump on board. Here are the teams I believe are ready to talk to Manning.
1. Miami: Manning may not “fit” coach Joe Philbin’s offense, but that doesn’t matter when the owner wants to sign Manning badly. There were unconfirmed rumors at the NFL Scouting Combine that Manning already was zeroed in on the Dolphins as his destination if the Colts cut him.
2. Arizona: The Cardinals deliberately left the door open to go after Manning during interviews at the Combine. They strongly appear to have interest. Kevin Kolb is due a large bonus on March 17, so the Cardinals have to make a deal happen quickly. Manning’s health makes that easier.
With Larry Fitzgerald, a strong running game, and a history of success with cerebral quarterbacks, Arizona may be the best fantasy football fit out there.
3. Seattle: The Seahawks have been my sleeper suitor for Manning all along. They have an aggressive front office, ownership that will get out of the way, and they can transform their attack for Manning. What they don’t have: A great receiver group.
4. Kansas City: It’s not just about Romeo Crennel’s comment at the Combine. The team has tons of salary cap and a strong foundation to win right now. Matt Cassel only costs $5 million this year, so the team could conceivably keep him as a backup if they got Manning to sign.
5. New York Jets: Like Arizona, they deliberately left the door open to go after Manning. It would be tricky to fit Manning in under their salary cap, but the ability to win now with the Jets could appeal to Manning. There are also a few nice weapons in place (Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller).
6. Washington: The Redskins sound like a fit on paper, but the connection doesn’t hold up under examination. It wouldn’t be an attractive place for Manning to go, and Mike Shanahan seems more likely to build around a young quarterback.
I’ve talked to some folks that believe Manning will quickly sign (with Miami the strongest possibility) soon after he’s cut. My guess is that things won’t turn out that simple.
Manning’s agent Tom Condon is a master at creating leverage and the contract for Manning is going to be complicated, considering the health risks.
It’s judgment week for the Colts, but Peyton Manning season should last longer.
Staying put
Silva’s excellent free agent list takes a few big hits every day. None of this is a surprise.
NFL teams always keep the players they want, and the bountiful free agent lists of February look thinner come March. It would have been a bigger surprise if guys like Ray Rice, Matt Forte, Arian Foster, Fred Davis, Jermichael Finley, and Marshawn Lynch were able to change teams.
$18 million guaranteed for Lynch – if those numbers hold up – doesn’t make a lot of sense. You can always find a running back, and it’s only worth paying that kind of money to the truly special ones. Even those guys (Chris Johnson) often aren’t worth it.
Staying in Seattle was the best scenario for Lynch’s fantasy value. The Seahawks see him as a 300-carry back. They will want to get their money’s worth out of him over the next couple of years. Translation: They will run him into the ground.
Lynch catches the ball just enough not to hurt you. While Lynch may not be worth the real life money, he’ll be one of the safer RB2 picks in 2012 because he should get the ball so much. Even if his yards-per-carry average is low, Lynch can rack up yards.
There aren’t enough true “primary” backs. Right or wrong, that’s how the Seahawks view Lynch.
Finally …
1. Vincent Jackson has to be thrilled that DeSean Jackson, Stevie Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, and Wes Welker are off the market or expected to be off the market. Jackson will make a killing.
2. One of the buried nuggets of the weekend on Rotoworld: The Bucs don’t see Mike Williams as a true No. 1 receiver. I agree: At best, he’s a 1A. It’s not a good sign for his dynasty owners. Tampa could be a dark horse in the Vincent Jackson sweepstakes.
3. Staying in Buffalo was the best scenario for Stevie Johnson. He wouldn’t necessarily be a No. 1 receiver elsewhere. His skill set is unique, but Johnson doesn’t run by people. Chan Gailey runs a wideout-friendly offense, and should keep Stevie topping 1,000 yards and getting lots of red zone chances.
4. The bounty controversy shouldn’t have an impact on fantasy football. Maybe it depletes the Saints defense early in the season. That’s about it.