Reports are surfacing that free agent quarterback Alex Smith is on contract negotiations with the Miami Dolphins after he visited with the team in South Beach for five hours today.

Other reports indicate that Smith isn’t too happy with the 49ers pursuit of Peyton Manning. So what?

This is a business and if you don’t have thick enough skin to handle the nuances of the free agent market then you probably don’t deserve to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. With that being said, these are simply just reports at this point. I have a hard time believing that Smith, who is one of the most intelligent players in the league, would actually let the 49ers pursuit of Manning effect him.

We have to realize that this is a special circumstance. I am working under the assumption that Manning approached the 49ers, not the other way around. In reality, they are the best fit for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

What exactly do the 49ers owe Smith? Not much if you ask me. He had five horrible seasons by the bay before leading San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game. In doing so, Smith was one of the primary reasons San Francisco existed in mediocrity during that span.

One decent season doesn’t afford him the right to demand elite quarterback money. One decent season doesn’t give him a blank check in which to work.

In reality, the 49ers won in 2011 despite having to run a watered down playbook in order to fit Smith’s marginal skill set. He missed major targets on the outside, wasn’t all too accurate and was purely a game manager: nothing more.

If San Francisco does miss out on Manning, which I personally don’t think is going to happen, they would welcome Smith back with open arms. After all, the two have been through a lot over the course of his career and have a longstanding relationship. Jim Harbaugh came in and helped Smith improve a great deal in 2011 to the point where he was a really good player for them.

Alex Smith could be on his way out of San Francisco

With that being said, San Francisco won 14 games in 2011 because of a great defense, solid running game and mistake free football. Marginal quarterbacks such as Matt Moore, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Hasslebeck would have won in the same situation. It just so happened that Smith was the one under center.

If San Francisco is able to sign Manning they immediately become the clear frontrunners to win the Super Bowl in 2012. Alex Smith needs to understand this and cannot let emotion intertwine with business. If that happens he is no good for any team in the National Football League.

As it is, Smith should be fully prepared to treat this like a business and move on if San Francisco is prepared to do the same.

Follow me on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL

Pro Football Talk is reporting that some teams are “getting worn out” by the Peyton Manning process. This makes perfect sense to me. After all, it has been a week since he was released by the Indianapolis Colts and teams just need to get moving with their offseason plans.

At this point, the four teams that are favorites to land Manning are in a holding pattern until he makes a decision. First, this disables their ability to go out there and acquire other key players. Second, this makes their quarterback situation in question. It is the most important position on the football field and they have no conclusion at this point.

If Peyton Manning’s primary concern is winning, which it is, he might actually want to make a decision soon before all the good free agents are off the board. The longer this process plays out the lesser of a supporting cast he is going to have around him in 2012.

Then you have the salary issue. Pro Football Talk indicated in the aforementioned report that more teams got involved when they found out what teams were actually offering Manning, which means that it might not be as high as originally thought.

Is Manning actually concerned with money?

This wouldn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me. He already has a great fortune laid out and isn’t going to be coming into a situation earning less then $10 million in 2012. So, I would conclude that is a secondary issue.

If not, there has to be more to the story.

I do understand that this is a recruitment process, something that Manning has not been through since his days at Tennessee. With that said, he needs to be more proactive in coming to a decision.

The longer this situation plays out, the greater the possibility is that more teams are going to jump into the sweepstakes. This would further complicate the process and hold franchises hostage. It would also limit Manning’s ability to actually be part of a contender in 2012.

Get this done sir and move on, that is my take.

There has been a changing in the guard in the AFC South. No longer are the Indianapolis Colts that proverbial 500 pound elephant in the room. Instead, the injury to Peyton Manning really showed that franchise that their window has closed. Replacing the Colts as the “favorite” in the division is the Houston Texans, who are only going to get better.

It goes without saying that there is going to be dramatic roster turnovers all throughout this division. There are some really bad contracts here and certain individuals just haven’t performed up to the level that their money would indicate.

So, lets take a look at players from the AFC South who could find themselves on the street when free agency starts.

Houston Texans

LB- DeMeco Ryans: $7.2 million

The 3-4 defensive scheme really doesn’t seem to fit Ryan’s strengths a great deal. He has also regressed since making the Pro Bowl in 2009. You are looking at a linebacker that has seen his tackle figure drop from 123 in 2009 to 71 in 2011. Houston has other inside linebacker options on their roster that are better fitted to play in the 3-4.

You also have to take into account that DeMeco Ryans is set to earn $7.2 million in 2012. Houston has to worry about retaining the services of Mario Williams as well as adding a complementary wide receiver opposite Andre Johnson.

CB- Kareem Jackson: $2.0 million

The back end of the 2010 first round was not good for teams looking at the corner position. Kyle Wilson, Patrick Robinson and Kareem Jackson: all what I would consider busts on the defensive side of the ball at this point. Jackson, for his part, has probably struggled the most out of that trio.

He has accumulated a total of 17 passes defended in 31 career games, continually getting burned on the outside. Houston was able to mask some of these shortcomings in 2011 because of splendid play from the rest of their roster, but he just isn’t getting it done. In fact, there could be a strong argument that the Texans retain Jason Allen as their nickel corner and go after another starter via free agency or in the draft. It is hard to give up on a player after just two seasons, but throwing $2 million to someone that really isn’t that good doesn’t make much sense.

Tennessee Titans

OT- Michael Roos: 7.3 million

He might have been a First Team All-Pro, but Michael Roos is three years removed from being anything more than an marginal starting tackle in the NFL. It just doesn’t make much sense to pay a player who has regressed in both pass protection and run blocking over $7 million a season.

There is a strong possibility that Roos and the Titans come to an agreement on a contract restructuring, but short of that he will be on the free agent market come March.

DE- Derrick Morgan: $2.9 million

Talk about busts. The Tennessee Titans selected Derrick Morgan with the 16th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He went on to start ten games and acquire just four sacks in two seasons. He just isn’t providing the Titans with the contribution they thought they were getting in 2010.

There is a strong possibility that the Titans do look for a trade partner in an effort to get a mid-round pick. Short of that, I don’t see Morgan being on their 53 come August.

LB- Will Witherspoon: $3.5 million

This veteran linebacker had a really solid 2011 season for the Tennessee Titans. He recorded two sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 14 starts. With that said, Witherspoon is expendable in the grand scheme of things, especially with that $3.5 million cap figure.

Tennessee will target an outside linebacker in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. They have two up-and-coming linebackers in Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy, it just makes sense to get another young player to go with them.

Jacksonville Jaguars

OT- Eugene Monroe: $9.0 million

Its hard to imagine that the Jacksonville Jaguars would give up on a player they selected 8th overall just three seasons ago, but Eugene Monroe continued to struggle in pass protection in 2011. He was, by all accounts, one of the worst pass protecting offensive tackles in the NFL: right up there with Marc Columbo of the Miami Dolphins.

It also doesn’t help that the former Virginia Cavalier’ is set to count $9 million against the cap. The Jaguars do have a myriad of average possibilities to replace Monroe, which means they could be hesitant to release him outright. Still, you need to have someone you can rely on to protect your young quarterback and the Jaguars don’t have that in Monroe.

DE- Aaron Kampman: $8.0 million

A free agent bust if I have ever seen one, Aaron Kampman has tallied a total of four sacks and played in 11 games in two seasons with the Jaguars since coming over from Green Bay following following 2009.

Obviously injuries have been a major factor in this, but Jacksonville will not pay that $8 million against the cap in 2012, that is guaranteed.

FB- Greg Jones: $4.5 million

The fullback position is quickly being hedged out in the NFL, this has been the case over the course of the last couple of seasons. While this position might be important to Jacksonville in terms of blocking for Maurice Jones-Drew, they are not going to pay Greg Jones $4.5 million in 2012.

You can expect the two sides to work on a contract restructuring, but if that fails Jones will be a free agent come March.

Indianapolis Colts

QB- Peyton Manning: $17.0 million

While Manning’s true cap numbers are still being wrangled about, I have come to the conclusion that it stands about $17 million against the Colts 12′ cap. There is absolutely no way that they bring him back with that figure. After all, the No. 1 pick and Andrew Luck just fell onto their laps.

I am pretty sure, taking a look at all the indicators, that Peyton Manning has played his last game in a Colts uniform. Rumors are being thrown around that the Miami Dolphins are going to be his hottest pursuer,  followed by the Washington Redskins.

With that said, don’t be surprised if a team like the San Francisco 49ers get involved. It goes without saying that they would be his best fit to win another Super Bowl. The feeling, however, has to be mutual and I am not sure Harbaugh and Co. are interested. Either way, he is going to be released in relatively short order.

TE- Dallas Clark: $7.3 million

If the Indianapolis Colts are going with the youth movement, and that seems to be the case, it makes no sense to keep Dallas Clark on the roster with that $7 million price tag. They have another tight end in Jacob Tamme (fantasy owner remember him from 2010), who is set to be a free agent and would come a lot cheaper.

The one factor that could play against the idea of Clark being released would be if the Colts want to give Andrew Luck that safety valve early in his career. Even if that is the case, he wont be returning under that cap figure.

LB- Gary Brackett: $7.4 million

To say that the Indianapolis Colts need to rebuild their defense is an understatement, this is a unit that gave up nearly 27 points per game and yielded over 140 rushing yards in over half their games.

They are also switching to the 3-4 defense, which means a complete overhaul of the front seven. Gary Brackett has played in the 4-3 throughout his career and doesn’t seem like a fit for their new defense. Adding to the great probability of him being released is that Brackett is set to count over $7 million against the cap.

RB- Joseph Addai: $4.8 million

Joseph Addai has clearly played his final game in Indianapolis. The former LSU standout has been somewhat of a bust since gaining 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. Injuries and an inability to make plays between the hashes has really affected his future with this team.

Additionally, Donald Brown averaged nearly five yards per rush attempt in 2011 and the Colts selected Delone Carter in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, he looked rather good as a rookie.

After a strong Week-One performance against the Saints, Aaron Rodgers is our No. 1 fantasy quarterback this week.

Your usual fantasy guru Ray Tannock is taking a break from the rankings this week, so I am here to give you the lowdown on what’s going to go down in Week Two. We had a lot of surprises at quarterback in Week One. The biggest one, obviously, being Cam Newton’s breakout performance against the Cardinals. Things should settle down this weekend, but we could have a surprise or two that pop up out of nowhere.

Before I start, I would like to congratulate Ray for coming in first place in Fantasy Football Crystal Ball’s Week One Accuracy Score for Quarterbacks last week. Way to go RAY!!!!!!!

Below are my quarterback rankings going into Week Two.

TOP FIVE WEEK-TWO MATCHUPS (MUST START)

1. Aaron Rogers (GB) @ CAR: Is there any reason to not put Rodgers at No. 1 this week? I know Tom Brady had that huge game against Miami, but my money is on Rodgers to lead the charge against a Carolina Defense that gave up 309 yards and two scores against Kevin Kolb.

2. Tom Brady (NE) vs. SD: Putting Brady any lower than No. 2 would be ridiculous. The guy simply doesn’t stop at putting up big games. Hell, he even made Deion Branch look like a stud Monday night. The Chargers Defense will come back down to Earth after facing Donovan McNabb in Week One.

3. Michael Vick (PHI) @ ATL: Vick didn’t throw for very many yards (187) against the Rams, but his two passing touchdowns and 98 rushing yards made up for it. Vick showed he still has plenty left in the legs. He will need that in, what figures to be, a very emotional game against his old team the Falcons in their house.

4. Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. KC: Stafford had a huge Week One, throwing for three touchdowns against the Bucs. Kansas City didn’t have an answer for Ryan Fitzpatrick. And after losing Eric Berry to a torn ACL, Stafford should have his way with the Chiefs’ secondary.

5. Philip Rivers (SD) @ NE: The Chargers’ receivers were held in check by the Vikings, but Rivers still had a huge fantasy day, using both Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews in the passing game. If Chad Henne can look like a Pro Bowler against the Patriots D, Rivers should have a field day in Foxboro.

Kevin Kolb had an excellent regular-season debut.

Despite throwing for two scores in Week One against the Bengals, Colt McCoy is better off on your bench.

BEST OF THE REST:

THE BOTTOM FEEDERS:

I wish everyone the best of luck this week. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post below.

Redskins QB Rex Grossman (7% Owned Average)
I may hate the Redskins, but no one can argue just how good Grossman looked at the tail end of last year. Mike Shanahan made the wise choice in not only re-signing Grossman, but naming him the starter over John Beck. Grossman faces a Giants Defense that got absolutely destroyed by injuries in the preseason. He will make mistakes and throw interceptions, but he could easily throw for 250 yards and a score or two. If Grossman puts up big stats, he won’t last long on the wire next week.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck (32% Owned Average)
No I’m not throwing Hasselbeck’s name out because I took him in the KFFL Experts League. His matchup against the Jags is one of the better ones going into the weekend. He won’t be an every-week starter because he isn’t the Hasselbeck of old, but no one can argue with you if you had to start him this weekend. He is easily a bonafide QB2 going forward.

Colts RB Delone Carter (20% Owned Average)
With the news that QB Peyton Manning will miss this week and possibly more, the Colts will try their best to keep Kerry Collins as comfortable as possible, meaning they will try and run it more than they have in years. The bad news is that Collins clearly lost it after last year. The good news is that with the offense concentrating more on a running game, Joseph Addai will need help. I had Carter pegged as a sleeper earlier this offseason. Now that he is officially Addai’s backup, that prediction is looking good. Carter’s role is unknown right now, but his ability to push the pile could make him a touchdown vulture.

Jaguars RB Deji Karim (14% Owned Average)
With the off chance that starter Maurice Jones-Drew misses time with an injury, Karim becomes a very strong option in a run-oriented offense. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see Karim get a decent amount of touches in order to keep MJD fresh as soon as this week. Karim is a must-have handcuff, but his value could blow up if MJD goes down.

Raiders WR Jacoby Ford (54% Owned Average)
54% might seem high, but not for a starting receiver and a quality punt returner. Hue Jackson laid it out there when he said that he expects Ford to get between 75-80 passes this season. And lets face it; after Zach Miller left for Seattle, Ford is the most talented receiving option in the offense right now. His upside is off the charts.

Saints WR Robert Meachem (42% Owned Average)
I realize that trying to figure out which receiver in the Saints offense will put up quality fantasy stats is a gamble almost every week, but Meachem shouldn’t be anywhere near your waiver wire for this week. Lance Moore is out with a groin injury against the Packers, a game that could be a shoot out. Now healthy, Meachem could be the deep threat the team needs. Pick him up and use him if you need flex help.

Titans TE Jared Cook (51% Owned Average)
Cook is a bit of an unknown since he has had to share the spotlight with Bo Scaife. But now that he is the starter, I expect big things from Cook this year. He has been lining up at wideout in certain packages and could lead the team in targets this year. With Kenny Britt the only other true option in this offense, Cook could have a breakout season. At the very least, he is a TE2 for now.

Rams TE Lance Kendricks (25% Owned Average)
Kendricks found instant chemistry with Sam Bradford and becomes a very strong pass-catching option outside of Danny Amendola. I really like Kendricks’ sleeper value this week against an Eagles Defense that has had trouble containing tight ends in the past. Kendricks could start if you are that desperate for a fantasy tight end. He is a TE2, like Cook, but with a high ceiling.

Other Notables that might still be worth a grab off the Waiver Wire:
Raiders QB Jason Campbell, Colts QB Kerry Collins, Falcons RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Redskins RB Roy Helu, Patriots RB Stevan Ridley, Browns WR Greg Little, Lions WR Nate Burleson, Rams WR Brandon Gibson, Raiders WR Denarius Moore, Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers WR Antonio Brown, Buccaneers WR Arrelious Benn, Browns TE Evan Moore, Redskins TE Fred Davis, Broncos TE Julius Thomas

Very deep Waiver-Wire option:
Free agent QB David Garrard
After being a surprise cut earlier in the week, Garrard has been rumored to have some interest from a couple teams. The 49ers have been linked to the former Jag, along with the Seahawks, even though Pete Carroll declined the chance to even look his way. If Garrard can land on a team with some solid skill players already in place, he could be a guy to look at in larger leagues if you are really in a bind and can sit on him for awhile.

I felt Peyton was going to sit out 4 to 6 weeks but never saw this coming, another surgery. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen confirmed on twitter that Peyton Manning underwent cervical fusion surgery on his neck Thursday morning. If you drafted any Colts players I’d make trade offers before their stock hits rock bottom. The Colts should go run heavy which increases the value of Addai but no one knows if he is “bad enough” to handle stacked boxes. In the event the newly acquired Kerry Collins does better than expected he could end up being a decent QB2 in the right match-up.

UPDATED – SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2011: CBSSports.com is now reporting that Colts quarterback Peyton Manning could potentially miss 4 or 5 games of the 2011 regular season, saying:

“I can tell you the coaches are preparing for a longer period of life without Manning…” – Mike Freeman CBSport.com

The problem here is that Manning is seeking additional sepcialists for his neck due to his slow healing progress which does confirm an earlier report by ESPN.

The bottom line is this, we now can assume that Manning will AT THE VERY LEAST miss his Week 1 start against the Texans, and the chances of missing more games is certainly NOT out of the question at this point.

It’s time to find a replacement, or make a trade is possible.

Read my original post below regarding this news, and please leave your questions below for advice on what to do. They’ve already started pouring in.

Five days ago I did a write up talking about the signing of Kerry Collins—you can read here—and discussed the reasoning behind the signing was due to Peyton Manning’s status for Week 1 being in jeopardy—well that status hasn’t changed one iota since.

The most recent report comes from Profootballtalk.com when Manning was asked about whether he was worried about his consecutive start streak:

“Absolutely not, no,” he said. “I have to be able to competitively play. I have too much respect for football.” Manning also still doesn’t know if he’ll be ready for the opener. “I know everybody’s into predictions and everybody wants to have the breaking news, but I just can’t give you any more than what I’m giving you. Just do me a favor, please don’t ask the linemen and receivers how I’m doing, because it annoys them and they get mad at me.” 

Another interesting report came from Alex Marvev on Twitter which Marvev reported that the Colts activated Manning from the active/PUP list.

So, what does this and all the other news reports mean?

Well, for one, it means you are reading too many news reports that are too close together, and too speculative which is why your brain currently hurts more than it would after a three day binger of nothing more than cheap Vodka and RedBull.

But more importantly it means that Manning’s start in Week 1 is still in jeopardy, despite Manning wanting to start ONLY IF IS CAPABLE TO DO SO.

Remember, the NFL and their teams have up to roughly 5pm Friday to give their final injury report for each given week of play ( the Colts square off in Houston at 1PM EST on Sunday, September 11th), and coaches have up to one hour before game time to adjust or activate those players who aren’t on the PUP list.

As it stands right now, Manning doesn’t look as if he will be ready which means you should adjust your roster accordingly.

If you drafted Kerry Collins, I would NOT give him the nod just because he plays in Indianapolis.

The guy is sure to have some rust on him, and hopefull you were wise enough to draft another true starter in the event Manning couldn’t go.

The usage of the Colts’ backfield could be an intriguing consideration since Houston was ranked 13th against the run last year, but it is still a bit too early to figure out.

Delone Carter continues to impress and push for the goaline back job over Donald Brown, while Joseph Addai could be an intriguing PPR option since he has been a near 50/50 split between rushes and catches in preseason, but a couple more days will provide a better gauge.

Leave a question below if you have one, and I’ll answer it!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/29/peyton-manning-insists-hes-not-thinking-about-his-streak/

Titans RB Chris Johnson flies into the Week One rankings as the No. 1 player with a tasty Week 1 matchup against the Jags.

Alright ladies and gents, it’s about that time again. Time to get our jerseys washed, time to clean out the good ole can coosey and get ourselves back into fantasy football shape again. Below are my running back rankings going into Week One.

I know a lot of people have been questioning whether or not to start their studs this week, depending on the matchups, their offensive line, etc. And while the mantra of always start your studs may have dissipated over the last few years, you still have to start them in Week One, no matter what defense they are facing.

TOP FIVE WEEK-ONE MATCHUPS (MUST START)

1. Chris Johnson (TEN) @ Jacksonville: Johnson will be looking to make good on his new guaranteed money and I expect the team to use him A LOT this week. Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper will get a couple carries here and there, but expect Johnson to put up big stats against a very suspect Jaguars Defense.

2. Adrian Peterson (MIN) @ San Diego: Even though AD faces a tougher run defense than usual to start the season, he is still a must start across the board regardless. Even against a front seven of nothing by Pro Bowlers, I would STILL start him every time.

3. Jamaal Charles (KC) vs. Buffalo: Charles faces one of the worst rushing defenses in 2010 (169.6 per game). Playing at home in Arrowhead doesn’t hurt either. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Thomas Jones doesn’t see more than a handful of touches.

4. Arian Foster (HOU) vs. Indianapolis: Foster plays against the team that made him a fantasy football name last year after he rushed for a team-record 231 yards and three scores in Week One. Owners will want to keep a close eye on Friday’s injury report to see how Foster (hamstring) looked in practice this week.

5. Darren McFadden (OAK) @ Denver: McFadden torched the Broncos Defense last year, averaging 142 rushing yards. Denver losing LB D.J. Williams for, possibly, the first 2-3 weeks of the season, is going to kill an already iffy run defense. McFadden should be huge this week.

Eagles RB LeSean McCoy comes in at No. 6 for Week One with a strong matchup against the Rams.

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs leads the Best of the Rest options at No. 31. Can he regain momentum going into Week 2?

BEST OF THE REST:
31. Brandon Jacobs (NYG) @ WAS – Could see short-yardage and touches at the goal line.
32. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE) @ MIA – Lead hand in the pot.
33. Ryan Grant (GB) vs. NO – Had a bleh training camp. Could lose time to James Starks.
34. Willis McGahee (DEN) vs. OAK – Definitely some upside here.
35. James Starks (GB) vs. NO – Value is capped if Ryan Grant remains in the picture.

THE BOTTOM FEEDERS (AVOID IF POSSIBLE)
36. Marshawn Lynch (SEA) @ SF – In a perfect world, the Seahawks would upgrade their quarterback situation.
37. CJ Spiller (BUF) @ KC – Will be force fed the ball at times, but I just don’t see anything in him.
38. Pierre Thomas (NO) @ GB – Will get work against the Packers, but I don’t see a 50/50 split between him and Ingram.
39. Michael Bush (OAK) @ DEN – Should see some touches to keep Darren McFadden fresh, but enough?.
40. Keiland Williams (DET) @ TB – Might take over the short-yardage/goal-line role meant for Mikel LeShoure.

I wish everyone the best of luck this week. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post below.