With one week of preseason in the books, NFL teams now have a better idea of where they stand, and some teams are dealing with their own kinds of drama.
Of the questions to sort out before your fantasy draft, one should be, “Where and how should I draft Michael Vick?”
Vick and McNaab will be using the current Prom Queen offensive scheme affectionately titled the Wildcat Formation. Given Vick’s skills, where do you put him in terms of your fantasy league?
Do you put him as a QB and hope the three or four plays they run rack up points? Or do you put him as a WR and rely on the bulk of his reps to get you the points you want?
What about McNaab? He’s getting older and no one will know until the third or fourth week of the season how the body is holding up.
Over in Minnesota, the Brett Favre drama continues its soul-killing march as the Queen Diva himself finally signed this week, as if anyone should be surprised by that.
I knew from the moment he said he was “staying retired” at the end of July that it merely was Brettspeak for “I don’t want to go to training camp, see you in a month.”
The drama continues in Cleveland as head coach Eric Mangini refuses to concede Brady Quinn was the better quarterback in Green Bay last week. That’s fine, but I’m in the camp that believes quarterback competitions are a distraction.
Speaking of Cleveland, anyone who is even thinking about drafting Braylon Edwards should have their head examined. I can’t justify even a late round pick for this guy. He led the league in drops last year, and his first preseason game indicated he’s picking up right where he left off.
The problem, unfortunately, could be in his head. That’s a bigger problem than any physical ailment, because bumps and bruises heal on a timetable. Mental injuries can ruin a career, and his may be rapidly coming to a conclusion.
On the other hand, Mike Furrey and Josh Cribbs showed they might be worth a pick. Both separated themselves last week from the rest of the Browns wide receiver corps. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with these guys over the next few preseason games.
Staying in the AFC North, the Steelers probably are going to look pretty much the same as they did last year. Most of the roster is returning and, as a Browns fan, I’m not looking forward to hearing it from the black and yellow again.
I’m not quite sure what kind of year Ben Roethlisberger is going to have, and I mean that honestly. Roethlisberger obviously is quickly building Hall of Fame credentials, but he’s been doing it by unnecessarily sacrificing his body.
One of Ben’s big knocks is that he holds onto the ball too long. I see almost as much Steeler football as I do Browns football, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Ben eat a sack he had no business eating.
Just ask Troy Aikman how multiple beatings will take years off your career. Despite his already deserved induction into the Hall of Fame, he probably could’ve played another few years had it not been for all the concussions.
Out west, I’m constantly amused by the Oakland Raiders. That franchise, along with the Lions, have been run even worse than Cleveland over the last few years.
That being said, if the reports of head coach Tom Cable decking his assistant and breaking his jaw are true, beware the Raiders this year. Those players will understand that this coach is NOT screwing around.
On the other hand, the Raiders could go 0-16, what do I know?
In San Francisco, Michael Crabtree continues to shoot his career in the foot because I don’t think the 49rs are going to sign him at his price. I really think the front office has decided he’s not worth the price and will move on without him.
I hope that’s true because anyone with that big an ego needs to be brought down to Earth. This guy hasn’t played one down in the NFL and he’s acting like he’s the second coming of Jerry Rice.
With the possible changes in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in the next year or so, Crabtree will end up costing himself tens of millions of dollars because he won’t get drafted in the first round next year, and if a rookie salary cap is instituted, he’ll end up on the low end of that scale.
Week two of preseason is about to start, I know I’m excited.
