RealFantasy Pigskin 2013: Draft and Discussion

Saturnian

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Jul 20, 2006
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Sorry all - I've been out of the country with no to shitty connectivity. I think LB Keith Rivers is still available. If not, I'll take Deacon Jones
 

RhaegarTharen

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Dec 22, 2005
2,754
Wilmington, MA
Minnesota Vikings:
 
QB:  EJ Manuel
RB:  Bryce Brown
RB/WR:  Dexter McCluster
WR: Mike Williams
WR:  Terrance Williams
TE:  Jared Cook
 
LT:  Chris Hairston
LG: Jeff Allen
C:  Stefen Wisniewski
RG: Kevin Zeitler
RT:  DJ Fluker
 
RB2:  Michael Bush
RB/WR:  Denard Robinson
 
This is not a Top 10 Offense.  This is probably not a Top 20 Offense.  That was a conscious decision.  Knowing I was not going to wind up with an elite QB, I decided to try and craft an offense that may, in a year or two time, be just dynamic enough to thrive in the modern NFL.  Manuel is obviously a complete wild-card.  Can't say I was too happy to see him go to Buffalo, but I am excited that we should have an immediate opportunity to see what he is, and not wind up with him stuck on a bench for a couple years, Mallett style (which might have been better for his career but not for my Vikings team).  I knew for a while that I wanted a QB who could run as well as throw, and so I tried to build the rest of the offense to compliment that.  I may not have succeeded, but we'll have to see.  The Williams Duo on the outside are pretty good compliments IMO.  Mike can line up inside or outside, and has the ability to run short, intermediate, and long routes.  Terrance is outside-only, but he has the experience playing in a run n' gun system with RGIII and has shown the ability to break off his routes when necessary and get open for a QB who's scrambling around.  Brown & Bush provide good elusiveness and strong between the tackles running, respectively.  McCluster & Robinson are sort of jack-of-all-trades.  Both of them (hopefully) will be able to line up in the backfield and run the ball, catch out of the backfield, or motion out and run routes from the slot.  The O-Line is a work in progress, and while it definitely needs work I think I have two strong pieces in Wisniewski and Zeitler.  If one of Allen, Fluker, and Hairston can step up and be an above average player, then I'll be happy with that.  (If I can get two average or above players out of the three I'd be ecstatic).  
 
DE: Cameron Wake
DT:  Jonathan Hankins
DT:  Marcel Dareus
DE: Tank Carradine
OLB: Dont'a Hightower
MLB: Brian Cushing
OLB: KJ Wright
CB: Casey Hayward
CB: Alterraun Verner
SS: TJ Ward
FS: Chris Conte
 
CB3: Johnathan Banks
DE/OLB: Margus Hunt
 
This defense probably isn't a Top 10 unit.....yet.  But I honestly think it might be one of the best young defenses in the league.  Wake is the only one over 30, and he's still in his prime and without a lot of NFL mileage on his frame.  I love the front four - Wake, Hankins, Dareus, and Carradine are great fits for the 1 Gap 4-3 Under I plan to employ.  Wake is the biggest pass rush threat, but he's one of the best in the game and perfectly able to take on the best LTs and still draw help.  We'll likely line Dareus up next to him, since his overall balance (run stop & pass rush) should play very well next to Wake.  That also takes most pass rush responsibility away from Hankins, and allows him to lineup in the A Gap and do what he does best.  Carradine is a wild card - the guy has the potential to be a monster, and he should get plenty of opportunity playing across from Wake.  How quickly he recovers from his injury and is able to adjust to the NFL game will likely be the difference maker on whether this D-Line is above average or the return of the Purple People Eaters.  Behind them I think I've got a very good set of linebackers.   When healthy, Cushing is one of the best in the game at MLB, a disruptive presence which should fill in well behind Dareus & Hankins.  Hightower wiill likely line-up on the same side as Carradine - between the two of them we should be able to generate good pressure from that side, and his run stopping and coverage abilities should play well behind the rookies.  Our secondary has two young standout corners, a hard hitting safety in Ward who can play in the box and has very good coverage skills, and a solid, if not spectacular, FS in Conte.  On the bench we have two wild cards in Banks and Hunt.  Banks has the size and skills to be a shutdown corner if he can develop, and would be a great compliment to Verner and Hawyard.  Hunt will start out being a special teams ace while we figure out where the hell to play him.  His size and athleticism should force him into sub packages - but we'll have to see how his game translates to the NFL before we determine if his ultimate fit is sub-rushing DT, DE, or OLB. 
 
K:  Greg Zuerlein
P:  Brett Kern
 
Two very good young players.  With our offense, we're going to have to be sharp on special teams, and Zuerlein's range will help put points on the board when our offense sputters.   We'll depend on Kern to help with field position when we have to lean on our defense to carry the team. 
 
 
All in all, I'm pretty happy with this team.  Picking last was tough, and while I probably goofed with my two first picks (shouldn't have second guessed myself on Clay Matthews or panicked on CBs) I'm satisfied with the end result.  I didn't have much illusion of competing right away without an elite QB, and so I like how I've positioned myself to be competitive enough now, but with lots of room for growth.  This is a very young team, and hopefully these guys will continue to develop.  Who knows - maybe they can surprise people and overachieve as much as the real Vikings!?
 

bsj

Renegade Crazed Genius
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Dec 6, 2003
22,774
Central NJ SoSH Chapter
Syracuse Snow Falcons    (Average team age 25.4)

QB Andrew Luck        (23)
RB1 Vick Ballard        (22)
RB2 Kendall Hunter 
(24)

 (Avg age of
backfield- 23.0)

I like this backfield. Luck is arguably the best young traditional
QB in the game, and I think he has the chance to perform at a high level for
years to come. I don’t necessarily love either of my RB individually, but I
think they make a nice package, provided Hunter comes back well from his
injury. Both are young and dynamic playmakers that have a chance to be around
for a while.


TE Jermaine Gresham (24)
WR1 Demaryius Thomas  (25)
WR2 Josh Gordon      (22)
WR3 Doug Baldwin  (24)
(Avg age of receivers: 23.75)
 
I like this group, although, admittedly, Baldwin is one of
my least favorite picks in this draft. He has been very inconsistent in his
first couple of years in the league. But he is a good fit for the slot. We’ll
see if he works out. I think this group hinges on the development of Gordon. I
reached on him, but that rookie season had, with that team around him…if he can
continue to develop he would make a fantastic #2 across the field from superstar
Thomas.


Util/RB/WR/QB Terrelle Pryor (23)

Pryor. What can he be? What will be be? Who knows. This is
for run so I wanted a swiss army knife to play around with.
  


LT Sebastian Vollmer  (28)
LG Kevin Boothe       
(29)
C Jonathan Goodwin  (34)
RG Geoff Hangartner  (31)
RT Orlando Franklin 
(26)
(Avg age of OL: 29.6)
 
The oldest unit on my team, and probably the unit that
would be first in need of upgrade. I like my tackles a lot. I think Vollmer has
the ability to be an above average LT for a few more years, and I like Franklin
to anchor that right side for years to come. Goodwin is the team’s elder
statesman, but at center, he can probably play another couple of years. My
guards are probably the shakiest position on the line. Boothe is capable, and
has kept Eli upright, but has never been regarded as much more than average,
while Hangartner is a wild card.


(Base 4-3)
DE Robert Quinn       
(23)
DE Wallace Gilberry    (28)
DT Pernell McPhee    (24)
DT Arthur Jones        
(26)
(Avg age of DL: 25.25)

Running the 4-3, this is an interesting mix. Jones plays a
lot of DE for the Ravens these days, but I think he makes for a better DT in
this setup. Excited as hell about Quinn who I think has the makings of a great
young pass rusher. Upped his sack total from 5 to 10.5 in his 2nd
season. May never be a 18-20 sack guy, but I bet he can get into the 15 sack
range. Gilberry is a capable end who I think can be counted on for 6-8 sacks a
season. Quinn is probably the only guy of this 4 I think has the potential to
be much better than average. But these are all, I believe, pros who will at the
very least not hurt the team. That said, I would love 1 more sure thing stud
here.

OLB Mason Foster     (24)
ILB Jerod Mayo         
(27)
OLB Zaviar Gooden   (23)
[R]
(Avg age of LB: 24.7)

I love my LB unit. Foster and Mayo are both ballhawks. Was
Mayo a reach? Maybe. But still damn glad to have him. Excited to see what they
can team Gooden, a freak athlete of whom a lot (possibly too much) will be
expected early.

LB Depth  Mark
Herzlich        (25)
 

CB1 Sean Smith        
(25)
CB2 Aaron Williams     (23)
CB3 Marcus Gilchrist  (24)
FS Michael Griffin     
(28)
SS Shamarko Thomas (22) [R]         
(Avg age of D backfield:  24.4)

Love my safeties. Always been a fan of Griffin and I think
Shamarko has a chance to be a very good safety in this league.  Won’t deny, my corners are all middle tier.
No shutdown guys. Hoping that my strong safeties can support my, admittedly,
so-so cornerbacks.
 
K Steven Hauschka    (27)
P Britton Colquitt 
(28)
 
Do I love either of these guys? No. Do I hate them? No. Will
they make the difference as to whether this team wins or loses? Probably not.
 

Overall…I’m going to be completely frank. I think this is a
team that, next year, would probably be a middle-tier team. Maybe 8-9 wins. But
they have enough youth that could develop that I could see the young nucleus
evolving into a 10-11 win team sooner than later, eventually challenge for a
deep playoff run, and could stay that way for a long time. My draft goal was
always a 5 year plan, but not sucking en route to it. I think mission accomplished. 
 

BrazilianSoxFan

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Apr 11, 2006
3,751
Brasil
Old Fart Tree, this is for you:
 
The Raiders Kickstarter Campaign
 
In a Line: Help rebuild a franchise destroyed by Al Davis's ways by re-implementing Al Davis's ways.
 
The Premise: The Raiders are in roughly similar shape to that of a young democracy emerging after years under an out-of-touch dictator. They've made some progress, but touches of the old ways are still lurking in the shadows, waiting to appear at the slightest hint of trouble. Enter this week's PR scandal, in which the Raiders fired public relations director Zak Gilbert months after a negative article was written about the team in Sports Illustrated. The article in question was notably negative toward Raiders owner Mark Davis, the son of Al, but more positive toward general manager Reggie McKenzie, who brought Gilbert into the Raiders organization last year after working with him in Green Bay. You connect the dots.
 

The Project: If Davis is going to go over McKenzie's head to make shortsighted and surreal decisions, he might as well go Full Al and document his work in the process. Our Kickstarter project will be part of making a book that glowingly details the methodologies and strategies that produced a team that made the playoffs three times in 18 years since moving back to Oakland. These are the Raiders that banned Rich Gannon and gave up on DeAngelo Hall after three months, not your daddy's successful Raiders. What do you tell your scouts when you pay attention only to a guy's 40 time? How can you give up two first-round picks for a quarterback with no trade leverage and then try to defend it years later? These are the important questions this book will uncover for anybody who wants to run a business the Raider Way.
 
Notable Donation Levels: For $7,500, you can get an urn containing some of the ashes of McKenzie's long-term rebuilding project, which could very well be up in smoke by the end of this season. What you'll really want, though, is to donate $30,000. At that price point, backers can have Mark Davis show up at their door and install a culture of fear and insubordination in their own homes! You'll pay the transportation and hair-care costs, of course.
 
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9344209/bill-barnwell-nfl-ideas-all-want-see
 

JerBear

Member
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Nov 11, 2006
1,582
Leeds, ME
Houston Texans
 
QB: Matt Ryan
RB1: Frank Gore
RB2: Marcus Lattimore
FB/Util: Michael Robinson
WR1: Brandon Lloyd
WR2: Anquan Boldin
WR3: Josh Cribbs
TE: Jermichael Finley
 
LT: Branden Albert
LG: Ben Jones
C: Nick Mangold
RG: John Jerry
RT: Reid Fragel
 
I have a strong OLine assuming Fragel is reasonable as I expect.  My WR are...not good, but not terrible.  Reports are Lattimore will be ready this season and he and Gore should work pretty well together.  Finley and Richardson provide a lot of flexibility in formations to help hide my terrible WR.
 
RDE: Kamerion Wimbley
DT: Linval Joseph
DT: Paul Soliai
LDE: Robert Mathis
 
ROLB: Zach Brown
MLB: Derrick Johnson
LOLB: Chase Thomas
 
CB1: Brandon Browner
CB2: Stanford Routt
CB3: Ras-I Dowling
 
FS: Dwight Lowery
SS: Tyvon Branch
 
My front 7 should do a reasonable job on runs up the middle and around the offensive right side.  I have a feeling we'll be shading Branch to the offensive left to protect Thomas and Mathis on running plays.  I expect to have my CBs pressing assuming they can stay on the field between drug suspensions and injuries.
 
K: Josh Scobee
P: Tim Mathsay
 
These guys kick the ball pretty well.
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
23,043
Thank god you're here. Between no-sense-of-humor assclowns and real life, everything other than your posts (and a select few others) has sucked today.
 
And I think Myt1 will represent you in your righteous crusade to defend the rules. 
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Nov 19, 2008
3,932
soxfan121 said:
ElCab's JnaiZombies lose Victor Butler to torn ACL.
 
He'll go great with our rookie DT who has a bad heart and our rookie CB who's had like 17 surgeries before playing a down in the NFL. 
 
Aaaaaand with their first pick in the upcoming supplemental draft the JnaiZombies select: the Phoenix Suns medical team.
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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OFT needs a tagline - "Imbued with the ghost of Al Davis" or something funnier than that.
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

family crest has godzilla
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Jul 26, 2007
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The Short Bus
soxfan121 said:
OFT needs a tagline - "Imbued with the ghost of Al Davis" or something funnier than that.
 
OFT has dilgently pursued the acquisition of Hernandez, but I am holding out for more.  I figure once he pleads or is convicted of something pretty bad, OFT will give me even more for him.  If not though, he can remain on the Panthers and fill the Rae Carruth role.
 
I know we voted on post-draft procedures and all, but I would like to request a special roster spot exemption for "Non-football Injury/Felony Murder" or something like that.  Either that, or I get to use his stats from the prison league. 
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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Even OFT isn't reckless enough to take Hernandez off your hands, murderer-drafter.
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Honest question - had the "five year contract" thing gone into effect, would Was(Not)Wasdin have given Hernandez one of his slots? 
 
Saved by the laggards in the process. 
 
You should send phragle a fruit basket or an edible arrangement in the shape of Alfonzo Dennard or something.
 

Old Fart Tree

the maven of meat
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I made what I thought was a fair and reasonable offer for a misunderstood tight end who would look good in the old Silver & Black. We ARE the guys with the patches on our eyes, after all...
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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Old Fart Tree said:
I made what I thought was a fair and reasonable offer for a misunderstood tight end who would look good in the old Silver & Black. We ARE the guys with the patches on our eyes, after all...
 
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

family crest has godzilla
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Jul 26, 2007
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The Short Bus
mascho said:
Wasdin, you clearly need to fire the head of your team's security.  You should have seen this coming with Hernandez.  
 
I just got a resume from a "Mr. W. Wolf" from California.  Have to see what he is all about. For the new versions of Madden when you play on franchise mode, you should be able to spend some franchise money to hire a guy like this.  Then, if one of your players gets arrested, when the rosters update you dont lose the player, or lose him for a shorter period of time. 
 
On his way out of the court, Hernandez said to his lawyer "Wait, Coach said he wanted to whack BRANDON Lloyd???"
 
I shouldnt be making these jokes given the apparent brutality of Odin Lloyd's murder, but man, Hernandez is just epically stupid and needs to be mocked. 
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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mascho said:
Arrest warrant issued for LB Ahmad Brooks, then shelved.
 
 
Is there an award for the team that doesn't have a player appear on the blotter by the end of the off-season?
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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soxfan121 said:
ElCab's JnaiZombies lose Victor Butler to torn ACL.
 
 
ElcaballitoMVP said:
He'll go great with our rookie DT who has a bad heart and our rookie CB who's had like 17 surgeries before playing a down in the NFL. 
 
Aaaaaand with their first pick in the upcoming supplemental draft the JnaiZombies select: the Phoenix Suns medical team.
 
Uh, that draft can't happen soon enough for ElCab, who has also lost Connor Barth for the season to a torn Achilles...in a charity basketball game.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Nov 19, 2008
3,932
Oh and let's not forget that Dennard is currently my #2 and most veteran CB I have on my roster. Just a stellar offseason for the squad so far. Can't wait to get out there and give em hell.
 

SeoulSoxFan

I Want to Hit the World with Rocket Punch
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Jun 27, 2006
22,089
A Scud Away from Hell
Steelers are staying clear of any offseason malaise that are plaguing other teams. Then again, we drafted Mathieu so situation is "fluid". 
 

SeoulSoxFan

I Want to Hit the World with Rocket Punch
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Jun 27, 2006
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A Scud Away from Hell
Bumping to see how everyone's team's looking after PS week 3. 
 
For the Steeler's Derek Wolfe's injury is of grave concern. 
 
In terms of pure stats, RB duo of CJ Spiller & Ben Tate is still shaping up to be a monster pair. Also good to see TY Hilton looking like he'll continue to break out, and DJ Hayden (a steal at 21st round) is the feel-good story of the team - making his first start for the Raiders yesterday. 
 
But the best news is that the Honeybadger, a pick that was not received kindly, may just be a big playmaker at this level:
 
 
In the first quarter of the Cardinals’ preseason opener against the Packers, Mathieu had a hit that caused an incomplete pass. In the second quarter, he had a tackle on a kickoff. In the third quarter, he had back-to-back plays on which he made a tackle at the line of scrimmage and then dove to the ground, grabbed Packers quarterback Graham Harrell by the ankles and sacked him for a loss of 12 yards. In the fourth quarter, Mathieu had a punt return for 24 yards, and another tackle on a kickoff.
 
Nice breakdown here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1744001-how-important-will-tyrann-mathieu-be-to-the-cardinals-defense
 
One of my biggest worries, the secondary, now looks a lot more solid with Patrick Robinson opposite D.J. Hayden, with Tyrann Mathieu in the slot and Reshad Jones + Mark Barron as two safeties. 
 

mascho

Kane is Able
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Nov 30, 2007
14,952
Silver Spring, Maryland
In that vein, let's see how the Redskins are shaping up right now:
 
The Good:
Wide ReceiverAlshon Jeffrey and Brandon Gibson are having solid camps so far.  Jeffrey is coming off a big night last night with 7 receptions for 77 yards and Gibson has emerged as the "best receiver in Dolphins camp."  Our 3rd WR, rookie DeAndre Hopkins, caught a TD in his first preseason game but was knocked out of his second with a concussion.
 
Defensive Line:Front four is probably the strong spot for this team.  All four players have looked solid this pre-season (DEs Greg Hardy/De'Quan Bowers, and DTs Nick Fairley and Sheldon Richardson).  Developmental prospect Lawrence Okoye has seen limited preseason action in 49ers camp.
 
SecondaryFS Kerry Rhodes remains unsigned.  However, the rest of the secondary seems solid right now.  CBs Greg Toler and Kareem Jackson, however, seem solid, and rookie CB David Amerson may have won a starting job in Washington.  SS Major Wright has also impressed so far.
 
The Bad:
Running Back
A serious cause for concern.  Projected starter Le'Veon Bell is out with a foot sprain, but thankfully the early diagnosis of a Lisfranc injury was negative.  Backup/3rd down back Larod Stephens-Howling prained his MCL as well, so we've been running a lot of empty backfield packages in pre-season as we look to address this position in the supplemental draft.
 
Tight End Vernon Davis is, well, Vernon Davis.  But Niles Paul finds himself in a fight for the #2 spot in Washington with Logan Paulson.  Not impressive.
 
Linebackers While DeMeco Ryans and Alec Ogletree are having good camps, Gerald Hodges is on the roster bubble for the Vikings.
 
Offensive line Tackle is the bright spot, as both Gosder Cherilus and are performing well. LG Wade Smith is out the rest of the preseason and hopes to be back for Week 1.  Fernando Velasco is fighting to keep his starting spot in Titans camp.  Barrett Jones has been shuffled around the Rams' offensive line and may see snaps at LT this weekend.  
 
The Ugly: Joe Flacco v. Kirk Cousins.  Flacco having a tough preseason and Cousins has a foot sprain.
 

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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Hey guys, 
 
I've been considering writing an article (like professional and stuff) about this RFP thing. Many of you participated in the first iteration and many of you were new to the process.
 
I kinda hate fantasy football. Which is why I love this thing of ours - I like football enough to want to know more about offensive lineman and could care less about which RB gets the most yards and touchdowns. He wouldn't be scoring without the blocking and the play call. 
 
Any aspiring writers among you want to work together? I've got a bunch of notes but feel like I need some other perspectives to get it right. 
 
Send me a PM if you're interested. 
SF121