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Dominic Rhodes
- RB, Indianapolis Colts
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5/7/2008 |
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According to the Indianapolis Star, RB Dominic Rhodes has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Indianapolis Colts worth $650,000. Rhodes had 75 carries for 302 yards and 1 touchdown for the Oakland Raiders in 2007.
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Huddle Up: Rhodes was brought back to bolster the Indianapolis running game and provide a quality backup to starter Joseph Addai. It seems likely that this could be a sign that current backup Kenton Keith's days in Indianapolis could be numbered due to his offseason legal troubles. Indy will also have rookie RB Mike Hart from Michigan to compete for carries and a roster spot with the Colts.
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Adam Archuleta
- S, Chicago Bears
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5/7/2008 |
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The Chicago Bears released veteran safety Adam Archuleta who was acquired by the Bears for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2007 draft.
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Huddle Up: Archuleta started ten games for the Chicago Bears last season but suffered a broken hand and eventually lost his starting job to Brandon McGowan. Look for Archuleta to land with another team sometime in the offseason.
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Hank Poteat
- CB, New York Jets
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5/7/2008 |
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The New York Jets have re-signed starting CB Hank Poteat to a one-year contract that will give the Jets added depth in their defensive secondary. Poteat started nine games for New York last season.
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Huddle Up: Poteat will enter training camp competing with rookie Dwight Lowery and veteran players David Barrett and Justin Miller. Fantasy owners should look for an improvement in the New York secondary but not enough to warrent using them as your defensive unit in 2008.
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Antwaan Randle El
- WR, Washington Redskins
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5/7/2008 |
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Washington Redskins WR Antwaan Randle El underwent arthroscopic knee surgery but is expected by the team to return to action in time for the upcoming training camp. The procedure was performed to remove a "floating body" in the knee which was causing the veteran receiver some discomfort.
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Huddle Up: Barring any setbacks Randle El will be ready for training camp and should be fully recovered by the start of the NFL season. Receiver was a depleted position for Washington but the team bolstered their wideouts by drafting rookies Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. The Redskins also acquired veteran WR Jerome Mathis to go along with Santana Moss in the Washington offense.
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New York Giants
- TM, New York Giants
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5/7/2008 |
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N.Y. Giants left tackle David Diehl received a new 6-year contract worth $31 million dollars which replaces his previous deal just agreed to in 2005.
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Huddle Up: Diehl has developed into a key part of the Giants offensive line as he has the task of protecting Eli Manning's blind side from pass rushers. Diehl looks to build on his spectacular 2007 season and with the Giants recognizing what they have they offered him a lucrative extension to keep him in N.Y. for many years to come. Fantasy owners should upgrade Eli Manning and the Giants running game as the New York offensive line has proved they are up to handling the task.
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Cedric Benson
- RB, Chicago Bears
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5/5/2008 |
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The Bears former first-round pick of the 2005 NFL draft was charged with being intoxicated while boating over the weekend and also for resisting arrest. "I was not intoxicated," Benson said. "There was alcohol on the boat and others were enjoying themselves, but I wasn't drunk."
"They gave me a field sobriety test, told me to say my ABCs and told me to count from 1 to 4 up and down," Benson told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm thinking, I passed all the tests, did everything right. Then the officer told me we needed to go to land to take more tests. I politely asked him why we needed to go to land to take more tests when I took every test. Then he sprayed me with mace, on his boat. "I'm not handcuffed. I'm not under arrest. I'm not threatening him. I'm not pushing him. I'm not touching him. And he sprays me right in my eye."
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Huddle Up: Regardless of what happened in this incident this is very alarming for the Chicago Bears and Benson's status with the team. Benson has underachieved in his stint with Chicago and this could signal the end of his stay in the Windy City if he is found guilty of the charges. The Bears drafted RB Matt Forte from Tulane in the second round of this years draft and expects him to give Benson a run for the starters job in the offseason. Fantasy owners should stay away from Benson until his status with the team becomes more clear.
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Jay Cutler
- QB, Denver Broncos
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5/2/2008 |
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Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has been diagnosed with Type I diabetes in a statement released by the quarterbacks business manager Marty Garafalo on Thursday.
"It's something that he's dealing with and something a lot of other people have," Garafalo said. "Even though it's a serious condition, it's a condition that can be managed. That's the way he's treating it right now. "Everything's fine, his condition is fine."
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Huddle Up: Cutler has emerged as a solid NFL starter with tremendous upside for the future. Despite the diagnosis of diabetes don't expect anything but a stellar career out of the Broncos field general for many years to come. Fantasy owners should view Cutler as a No. 1 starter on a potentially high-octane offense in 2008.
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Pierson Prioleau
- S, Jacksonville Jaguars
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5/1/2008 |
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed 10-year veteran safety Pierson Prioleau from free agency after he spent the last three seasons with the Washington Redskins.
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Huddle Up: The addition of Prioleau will give the Jaguars added depth in their defensive secondary just in case Jacksonville has a rash of injuries later in the year.
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Ian Scott
- DT, Carolina Panthers
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4/30/2008 |
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The Carolina Panthers have signed veteran free agent defensive tackle Ian Scott to a contract. Scott was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles last season but missed the year with a knee injury.
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Huddle Up: Scott will be brought in to add veteran depth to the Carolina defensive line. He will compete with anticipated starters Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis.
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St. Louis Rams
- TM, St. Louis Rams
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Chris Long DE Virginia,
2 Donnie Avery WR Houston,
3 John Greco OL Toledo,
4 Justin King WR Penn State,
4 Keenan Burton WR Kentucky,
5 Roy Schuening G Oregon State,
7 Chris Chamberlain ILB Tulsa,
7 David Vobora OLB Idaho
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: The Rams landed a big-time player in the first round with Chris Long from Virginia. Long will give the Rams additional firepower on an improving defensive line which underachived in 2007. St. Louis was also in need of upgrading their wideout position and picked the surprising Donnie Avery in the second round. From a fantasy perspective don't look for much of an impact outside of Chris Long from this rookie class of 2008.He will give the Rams another strong pass-rusher to go along with star Adam Carriker.
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Baltimore Ravens
- TM, Baltimore Ravens
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Joe Flacco QB Delaware,
2 Ray Rice RB Rutgers,
3 Tavares Gooden LB Miami (FL),
3 Tom Zbikowski S Notre Dame,
3 Oniel Cousins DT Texas-El Paso,
4 Marcus Smith WR New Mexico,
4 David Hale OT Weber State,
6 Haruki Nakamura FS Cincinnati,
7 Justin Harper WR Virginia Tech,
7 Allen Patrick RB Oklahoma
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: Baltimore landed their quarterback of the future in the highly regarded Joe Flacco out of Delaware. Flacco impressed in the NFL combine by displaying the strongest arm of any of the quarterbacks drafted. Also important was the selection of Rutger star running back Ray Rice who will make a nice complement and backup to Willis McGahee in the Ravens backfield. Fantasy owners should keep watch on receivers Marcus Smith and Justin Harper as they could surprise in training camp and move up the depth chart in Baltimore. Don't waste a draft pick in your fantasy league on Flacco as he will likely struggle like most rookie signal callers do in his first year. He is the quarterback of the future in Baltimore.
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Darwin Walker
- DT, Carolina Panthers
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4/29/2008 |
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The Carolina Panthers have signed free agent defensive tackle Darwin Walker to a 1-year deal thus adding some depth to the Panthers defensive front for the 2008 season.
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Huddle Up: The move was a good one for the Panthers as they only drafted one defensive lineman (Nick Hayden -6th round)and recently lost veteran Kris Jenkins via a trade prior to the draft in the offseason. Carolina has a solid defensive front and seems to be making the right moves to guard against injuries by adding depth.
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Dominic Rhodes
- RB, Oakland Raiders
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4/29/2008 |
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Just two days after selecting RB Darren McFadden of Arkansas with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders will be parting ways with backup running back Dominic Rhodes. The 29 year old Rhodes was suspended for four games last season due to violating the leagues substance abuse policy.
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Huddle Up: The veteran running back that formerly played for the Indianapolis Colts on their Super Bowl winning team, will likely be picked up by another team in the near future looking for experienced running back depth for their roster. Rhodes should not be considered worthy of fantasy consideration unless he lands with a team and secures a starting job prior to the start of the season. Rhodes carried the ball 75 times for 302 yards in 2007.
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Minnesota Vikings
- TM, Minnesota Vikings
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4/29/2008 |
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2 Tyrell Johnson FS Arkansas State,
5 John David Booty QB USC,
5 Letroy Guion DT Florida State,
6 John Sullivan C Notre Dame,
6 Jaymar Johnson WR Jackson State
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: With only 1 pick in the first four rounds Minnesota chose free safety Tyrell Johnson from Arkansas State to help stabilize the Vikings secondary. The team also used a fifth-round pick on John David Booty who could push starter Tavaris Jackson for the job in Minnesota. Fantasy owners should not be considering anything new from Minnesota this season as they will rely heavily on RB Adrian Peterson to carry the load again.
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Tennessee Titans
- TM, Tennessee Titans
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Chris Johnson RB East Carolina,
2 Jason Jones DE Eastern Michigan,
3 Craig Stevens TE California,
4 William Hayes DE/LB Winston Salem,
4 Lavelle Hawkins WR California,
4 Stanford Keglar OLB Purdue,
7 Cary Williams CB Washburn
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: Not much to say other than the Titans draft appears to be one of the worst in the league this year with the exception of first-round pick Chris Johnson from East Carolina. Johnson could be a force for the Titans and carry the bulk of the rushing load for the Tennessee Titans if he can win the starting job in training camp. The most glaring need for the Titans was receiver and only a fourth-round pick on WR Lavelle Hawkins was used to address this. Look for the Titans to continue to struggle getting the ball downfield in 2008 as QB Vince Young looks for a solid go-to-guy among this group of receivers.
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Houston Texans
- TM, Houston Texans
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Duane Brown OT Virginia Tech,
3 Antwaun Molden CB Eastern Kentucky,
3 Steve Slaton RB West Virginia,
4 Xavier Adibi LB Virginia Tech,
5 Frank Okam DT Texas,
6 Dominique Barber S Minnesota,
7 Alex Brink QB Washington State
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: The Texans filled one of their most glaring weaknesses when they selected Duane Brown OT from Virginia Tech. The tackle position has been a problem for the Texans as they have had trouble protecting their quarterback over the years due to a deficiency at that position. Fantasy owners should upgrade quarterback Matt Schaub in 2008 as the Texans look to have a young but improved line in front of him. Also, RB Steve Slaton has blazing speed and despite being only 5'9" he could be the home-run hitter out of the backfield that the Houston running game has been missing. Keep your eyes on these rookies leading up to your drafts this season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
- TM, Pittsburgh Steelers
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois,
2 Limas Sweed WR Texas,
3 Bruce Davis DE UCLA,
4 Tony Hills T Texas,
5 Dennis Dixon QB Oregon,
6 Mike Humpal LB Iowa,
6 Ryan Mundy S West Virginia
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: WOW! Who would have thought that RB Rashard Mendenhall would fall to the 23rd pick in the draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With teams like Chicago and Detroit ahead of them with huge needs at running back this was the steal of the draft. Mendenhall is a workhorse back and brings things to the Steelers such as durability and power that starter Willie Parker does not possess. Pittsburgh also picked up the huge 6'4" Limas Sweed in the second round to give "Big Ben" Roethlisberger a huge target to throw to. Fantasy owners should grab Mendenhall as a sleeper in upcoming drafts as the Steelers could utilize him like the Jaguars use Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville. The Steelers are a team on the rise in 2008.
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Seattle Seahawks
- TM, Seattle Seahawks
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Lawrence Jackson DE USC,
2 John Carlson TE Notre Dame,
4 Red Bryant DL Texas A&M,
5 Owen Schmitt FB West Virginia,
6 Tyler Schmitt DE San Diego State,
7 Justin Forsett RB California,
7 Brandon Coutu K Georgia
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: The Seahawks are a team that really did not seem to do much in the way of impacting their current roster with the talent that they got with the exception of their pick of Lawrence Jackson and TE John Carlson. Carlson will compete for playing time in the Seattle offense this year and could turn out to be the best player that the team received. Fantasy owners should not really expect much from this group of players.
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New Orleans Saints
- TM, New Orleans Saints
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4/29/2008 |
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1 Sedrick Ellis DT USC,
2 Tracy Porter CB Indiana,
5 DeMario Pressley DT North Carolina State,
5 Carl Nicks OT Nebraska,
6 Taylor Mehlhaff K Wisconsin,
7 Adrian Arrington WR Michigan
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: The Saints got who they were going after when they landed defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis in the 1st round. The Saints have an obvious need on the defensive line and Ellis could be a mainstay that the team can build around for the future. From a fantasy perspective the team made some inroads on upgrading their defense but did little else such as finding some good offensive linemen to protect quarterback Drew Brees in New Orleans. The 5th round pick of Carl Nicks from Nebraska will help but it will not be enough to fill holes on the line.
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Washington Redskins
- TM, Washington Redskins
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4/29/2008 |
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2 Devin Thomas WR Michigan State,
2 Fred Davis TE USC,
2 Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma,
3 Chad Rinehart T Northern Iowa,
4 Justin Tryon CB Arizona State,
6 Durant Brooks P Georgia Tech,
6 Kareem Moore S Nicholls State,
6 Colt Brennan QB Hawaii,
7 Rob Jackson DE Kansas State,
7 Chris Horton S UCLA
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Huddle Up: Fantasy Impact: Despite not having a first-round pick, the Washington Redskins landed some top-talent especially at the wide receiver position. Washington's drafting of WR Devin Thomas and WR Malcolm Kelly will provide the team some young receiving options to develop as the team continues to build for the future. The 'Skins also got QB Colt Brennan out of Hawaii in the 6th round whom Hawaii coach June Jones has called the best quarterback he has ever coached. Fantasy owners should look for WR Devin Thomas to be a stud in this league opposite Santana Moss in the Washington receiving corp. He is worthy of a mid round pick in fantasy leagues if he moves up the depth chart as expected in preseason.
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