Fantasy Nation - Fantasy Football Thread

[Guest eagle eye]

All you fantasy owners out there can test your strategy for your upcoming draft. NFL.com has a mock draft page link and it's pretty good. You will need to register but it doesn't cost anything and it will also make you eligible for NFL.com's fantasy games. Check it out. A new draft starts every few minutes.

[Guest boomer]

Houston gets wide reciever back after loosing their first round draft pick this weekend.

 

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that wide receiver DeVier Posey would start the season. On Sunday, head coach Gary Kubiak confirmed that Posey was poised to return on Monday.

 

“The biggest thing tomorrow, coming back on the field tomorrow, the two guys that we expect back from the field tomorrow when we go back to work are Posey and (T Brennan) Williams at this point,” Kubiak said. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

 

The second-year wide receiver had been pushing hard to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list.

 

“He has not missed a day,” Kubiak said Wednesday. “He’s been down there every morning throughout the offseason. He came to me about a month-and-a-half after his surgery, he said, ‘Don’t count me out, I’ll make it to opening day.’ He’s holding up his end of the bargain. He’s done a great job.”

 

Throughout training camp, Posey was running routes and catching passes on the JUGS passing machine while the team practiced.

 

Posey makes his return just seven months after he tore his Achilles tendon in the AFC Division playoff game at New England on January 13. Posey had 3 receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown in Houston’s playoff loss.

 

Twitter.com/DeepSlant

 

[Guest boomer]

Cheifs cut ties with former first round pick Baldwin.

 

San Francisco 49ers ?@49ers 3m The #49ers have traded WR A.J. Jenkins for Chiefs WR Jon Baldwin.

[Guest boomer]

There has been alot of debate on what Baldwin brings to the table. I have read that he is the best guy on the field in practice but has never fund a way to bring it to the game. Then I found this :

 

@GregABedard Belichick told Dimitroff that Jon Baldwin was just as good as Julio Jones in @MichaelSHolley's "War Room"

 

There is only a one year 1 million dollar risk being taken by the 49ers at this point so the money also makes sense.

[Guest eagle eye]

My goodness did the landscape change for NFL teams and fantasy league team owners over the weekend.

 

1) If anyone doubted what would become of the Patriots offense with the loss of Aaron Hernandez and the uncertainty of Rob Gronkowski those doubts could be laid to rest. First, Steven Ridley's big year in 2012 was no fluke. He'll be the bell cow for the Pats running game but Shane Vereen has been doing quite well this preseason as well as expanding his role to receiver. The Pats have a short yardage stud in LeGarrett Blount. (How do the Patriots keep losing people and end up with somebody better?) They have issues at tight end so they drafted a kid from Utah in Zack Sudfeld that could be the next Gronk. The guy has looked really good so far in preseason. (This is definitely a nice sleeper for fantasy players). And with the loss of Wes Welker the Pats replaced his with a faster version of him in Danny Amendola and he was everything Welker has been in Friday night's game. Amendola's health is the issue but if he stays on the field he could lead the NFL in receptions. Fantasy players should take a look at these Patriots and give serious consideration to drafting a lot of these players.

 

2) Miami and Dustin Keller took a huge hit Saturday night vs Houston when Keller had his knee totally dismantled by a low but legal tackle by D J Swearinger. Keller has every ligament in his knee torn and a he has a dislocated knee cap as well. Keller was looking pretty good in the game before his injury and I know it will be huge loss for Miami.

 

3) After looking like a shoe-in to be the starting QB in Buffalo E J Manual went and messed up his knee. It appears it's nothing serious but he is going to miss the rest of the preseason for sure. Whether or not Kevin Kolb will be the man in Week 1 for the Bills remains to be seen. Also, the Bills lost 2nd year WR Kevin Elliot for the season with his own torn ACL.

 

4) The Jacksonville Jags named Blaine Gabbert their starting QB in week 1 but he will not play the rest of the preseason with a hairline fracture on his right thumb he got when following through on a pass in Saturday night's loss to the Jets.

 

5) While the Packers are happy with the way 1st round draft pick RB Eddie Lacey is doing so far in training camp certain team officials are not happy with 4th round pick Johnathan Franklin. One of his strengths was supposed to be his blocking ability but he hasn't really shown it so far. It is said that he plays small and doesn't play fast. He's likely to make the final roster because of his draft status the guys he's competing with, James Starks and Alex Green, have been just as unimpressive as Franklin.

 

6) The Broncos LB Vonn Miller is looking at a six game suspension for violating the substance abuse program but his original suspension was only 4 games. It is not known why the NFL is pushing for a longer suspension but they claim it is unrelated to his arrest last week for failure to show up for traffic violations hearings. I makes you wonder though.

 

7) The Colts TE Colby Fleener is out for an unspecified time with a sprained knee. The Colts will be having tests run to determine the extent of the injury but it doesn't appear serious as Fleener is walking around on it.

[Guest eagle eye]

As I'm watching the Redskins game I see Kirk Cousins just got his ankle rolled up on and he's out of the game. I may be his foot that's hurt and it seems Cousins may join the list of players with foot injuries in Week 2 of the preseason. Rex Grossman is in for Washington and Cousins is getting treatment on the sideline. I'll bet his night is over.

 

After signing Steve Breaston and Patrick Crayton about 10 days ago after WR Joe Morgan tore his ACL and was lost for the year the Saints have cut both players. This was after both got an extended look in this past weekend's game vs the Raiders. According to NFL.com the move was less about being disappointed with them as the Saints were giving a vote of confidence to their young receivers Kenny Stills and Nick Toon who are locked in a battle for Morgan's No 3 WR slot. Both Stills and Toon have had great camps and have really showed up in the 2 games the Saints have played. Especially Kenny Stills who could be, no probably is, a nice sleeper pick especially for those in keeper leagues considering his youth.

 

Former Jacksonville Jaguar WR Mike Thomas who went to Detroit in a trade last year has worn out his welcome in Detroit. Thomas was good for about 3 years in Jacksonville but since he left in free agency he has been a colossal bust. Even though Thomas has not played well, and is off the team, Detroit still owes Thomas a cool mil in guaranteed money for 2013. Just a kick in the teeth Detroit doesn't need as they search for WR depth.

 

Now for another kick in pants. The Steelers newest star RB Le'Veon Bell is on the sidelines with--you guessed it--a foot injury. Bell has already missed some practices and the Steelers first preseason game with stiffness in his knee.

 

What the Rams needed was a little positive news and I suppose this is something, at least for fantasy team owners. The Rams have announced that Daryl Richardson will be the starting tailback for St Louis on opening day. Isaiah Pead will not need to be upset since he is suspended the opening weekend for substance abuse violations. Pead may have more upside than Richardson but it's Richardson with the chance to claim the top spot long term.

 

The Vikings are breathing collective sighs of relief as they found out the MRI on the knee of their first round pick DL Sharif Floyd was clear with no structural damage. Floyd did have his knee scoped to repair "minor damage" and he will miss the rest of the Vikes preseason games but is expected back for the season opener.

[Guest boomer]

I hate for this to be buried so ddeep because it could have a major impact on your draft. Here is something on Arian Foster that I read on the Fantasy Greek. I was not aware that the leg injury 97.5 was talking about was really from a back injury. Read here.

 

Foster’s latest ailment has been reported as back pain which has “gone into his legs.” As reported by John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, head coach Gary Kubiak said Foster “got injections“ to treat his back. Moreover, as Brian T. Smith of Ultimate Texans has reported, Kubiak believes Foster will be ready for the season opener in twenty-one days. Kubiak believes this because he has seen Foster practicing “on his own” with the team’s head trainer. While there has been a setback in his recovery, Kubiak further said, “t’s not like he’s been standing around for the last three weeks.”

 

Obviously, back problems are meant to be taken seriously, but so far there has been no real confirmation as to whether Foster’s problems are muscle related or something else. The conservative treatment Foster is getting suggests it’s muscular. Indeed, no one has said it’s something more. Until someone does, don’t speculate that it is. There are tests for determining whether there is some involvement of the vertebrae. Given Foster’s stature on the team, the Texans would likely not hesitate to conduct those tests and determine whether this is a problem that requires surgical intervention. Obviously, should the problem require surgical intervention, this would severely dampen Foster’s fantasy football value, and possibly even require that he sit out the season. But, we’re not there yet. (Shortly after this article was published, Foster’s condition was described as a “minor disc irritation in his back” but the hope was that he would still be back for opening day.)

 

As for Foster’s fantasy value, and the options fantasy footballers have this weekend, there are a few things The Fantasy Greek can suggest if Foster’s status remains unchanged at the time of your draft.

 

 

[Guest boomer]

Here is a little piece from Roto wire on the state of Jordy Nelson. I am not a big fan of Nelson , because of where he is going in the drafts I have seen. I like Randall Cobb to be the must own with James Jones and his nose for the end zone coming in behind him. No nock on Nelson but he is not top 4 round talent.

 

Jordy Nelson: Targets Week 1 Return

 

Jordy Nelson: Nelson (knee) continues to shoot for a Week 1 return to action, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. "Our main goal is San Fran," he said of the Packers' season opener, on the road against the 49ers on September 8. "And that's just a goal. You never know what could happen. We'll just continue to go day by day."

 

Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Source: Jordy Nelson: Targets Week 1 Return

[Guest boomer]

I always try to play bye weeks to my advantage and here is one that could pay big dividens in the playoffs.

 

LeSean McCoy, C.J. Spiller, Marshawn Lynch & Gio Bernard all have a week 12 bye. A very competent group of RB's that would be recharged for the playoffs/WK14.

 

I like to look at a guy who can get some rest right before the big push. I alo like that all of these guys should be in some type of division playoff battle. This is speculation but isn't it all at this point? :)

[Guest boomer]

Guys here is the tip of the day when it comes to stealing good talent.

Both of theses guys are being way undervalued : quarterback Russell Wilson (8/12 passing, 127 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) continues to impress. To be surprised if he is not one of the last wide receivers taken in most drafts but ends up being one of the most effective. Wide receiver Golden Tate (2 rec., 42 yards) remain the best pas catching fantasy option on the team, as a low end WR3 or reserve.

 

 

[Guest boomer]

Ok lets talk about teams you don't get to see all the time. Today we are going to talk steals on the Browns...uh yea the Browns. Weedon looks good this year but you dont want to be tied to that horse. T-Rich will go in the first round and has the talent to do so but there are two others you might want to look into:

 

Jordan Cameron hype? The Cleveland Plain-Dealer has discussed how often Cameron is getting looks in practice, you saw the result of that with his two-touchdown game against the Lions and it's not an accident. Antonio Gates is the most obvious example, but Norv Turner and Rob Chudzinski love to use the tight end. In fact, per ESPN Stats & Information, in Chudzinski's nine seasons as an NFL coach, his team's starting tight end has ranked in the top eight among tight ends in targets in six of them, with at least 100 targets in five of them.

We deal with facts and statistics all the time and the risk rewared could be huge if you can steal Cameron after the 8th round.

 

Cleveland also wants to get Josh Gordon involved and he's going to have a really nice year. Over the past five years, only the Colts attempted more passes 15 yards or more downfield than Norv Turner's San Diego Chargers. Norv's calling the plays in Cleveland now and the suspension has lowered Gordon's draft-day stock. This is a prime oppertunity to get a top 10 WR1 in the low mid to late rounds. Faces it you are not going to play your 3rd or 4th WR all the time any way so you can afford to sit him.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest boomer]

I told you yesterday that we would continue to feed you some steals as the draft approaches. Here is one that will take most of the will power you can muster. What if I told you that you could wait till round 10 or 11 and get a top ranked QB1? Well here is the guy that I think you could pin your teams qb needs to.

 

With a current ADP of 15th at the position and 115th overall, Andy Dalton is an absolute steal. Based on his improvements from 2011 to 2012 and a further expected jump in 2013 with first round pick Tyler Eifert and second round pick Giovanni Bernard at his disposal, Dalton is a very safe bet for 4,000 total yards and 35 scores and I believe he will push 4,500 total yards and 40 scores.

 

Dalton will benefit from the Bengals playing more two tight end sets as well as split backs which will give him better protection ad more short-route options to limit his hits. Dalton should increase his 527 total pass attempts as well and still average over 62% completion. Dalton literally has the potential to be a top five fantasy quarterback.

 

I have been advising anyone who would listen that the RB's are thin in deapth. I am telling guys to go RB, RB, RB and you will not regret it as the season goes on.

[Guest eagle eye]

Don't worry about the shellacking of the Patriots by Detroit on Thursday night. It's preseason and the Pats have looked bad in the "rehearsal game" before and ended up in the Super Bowl. The Pats took a page out of the Cowboys preseason script by surrendering fumbles by RB's Brandon Barnes and Shane Vereen and TE Zack Sudfeld and Tom Brady threw an interception to halt 4 or the 5 drives the first team offense had on the night, all in the first half.

 

Detroit actually looked good for the first time this preseason led by RB Reggie Bush's 103 yards receiving on 5 receptions confirms my opinion that Reggie Bush will be the new and improved Darren Sproles in 2013. Joique Bell and Mikel LeShoure did well running the ball. Bell gained 52 yards on 5 carries and LeShoure logged 32 yards in his 5 carries. All this and no Megatron who was out nursing an injury. The Norris division better look out for these Lions.

Carolina beat Baltimore Thursday night at their own game--defense. The Panther defense scored three TD's in beating the Ravens 34-27. Joe "I'm an elite quarterback" Flacco has 2 TD's and 3 INT's so far in the preseason and he logged a tally sheet of 18-24 passing for 169 yards and no TD's and no INT's as he played into the 3rd quarter. The Ravens seem to have found a nice WR compliment to Torrey Smith in No 14 Marlon Brown the rookie out of Georgia. This kid has "sleeper" written all over him. Ray Rice looked quick and fast. A top 5 pick in fantasy drafts.

 

Cam Newton looked bad. Every running back for Carolina looked bad and all the TD's scored by the Panthers were scored by the defense and on special teams thanks to a 74 yard punt return by Ted Ginn Jr. The offense could only muster two field goals by Graham Gano and one of those a 54 yard bomb just inside the 2 minute warning at the end of the first half. TE Greg Olsen was the leading receiver for Carolina with 3 catches for 44 yards followed by David Gettis' 3 nabs for 26 yards. Anemic doesn't really cover it.

 

So far in tonight's game between the Packers and Seahawks it is a sort of sloppy defensive struggle. Aaron Rodgers left before halftime without doing much. Graham Harrell moved in after Rodgers left and led his team to an apparent TD on a throw and great catch by Jermichael Finley. The catch was overturned by replay though and the halftime score was 3-3. Vince Young is in to start the second half and even though I've never really liked Young I'm sort of rooting for him. The Packers lost RB DuJuan Harris in the first half to a knee injury. It is not known just how bad it is but he's out for the rest of the game. Eddie Lacey looked pretty darn good while he was in there.

 

The Seahawks have become the "bad boys" of the NFL. They are all about intimidation but person fouls don't make you a badass. This team is good, and I hate to admit it, too good to play that playground crap and trash talking crap. My wife hates the Seahawks solely on the shoulders of the game the refs gave them last season on Monday Night Football by blowing the final "hail Mary" call in the end zone to end the game. One positive Marshawn Lynch ran well and Texas A&M's Christine Michael also ran very well.

 

End of post note: VY led the Packers to an EASY TD to start the 3rd quarter. He did it like VY does it. With his legs and his arm.

[Guest eagle eye]

The Jets and their fans watched Geno Smith stink up the Meadowlands and then Rex Ryan finally pulled Smith in the fourth quarter and put Mark Sanchez in and promptly got his shoulder hurt. What a joke the Jets have become.

 

The Bills lost Kevin Kolb to an injury on Saturday leaving some guy I've never heard of as the first string guy. Evidently, the Bills weren't comfortable with the new guy so they signed Matt Leinart. Leinart will play this Thursday's preseason finale but NFL.com is reporting EJ Manuel is on track to be back for Week 1 but with Kevin Kolb's concussion a big concern since this is the 3rd major concussion Kolb has suffered in his career Leinart was seen as needed. Leinart had his big chance in Houston 2 years ago when Matt Schaub was injured 4 games before the playoffs. Unfortunately, for Leinart he was injured in the first quarter of his first game as a starter in Houston. He languished on the bench in Oakland in 2013 so this may be Leinart's last chance to stay in the NFL.

 

NFL.com is reporting that injured Vikings D-tackle Kevin Williams is upset at 49ers backup offensive lineman Joe Looney who was blocking on a broken play in the Vikings-Niners game Saturday night by going at Williams' knees. Williams and the Vikings are waiting on MRI results to know the extent of his injury but it was clearly a cheap shot. 49ers RB LaMichael James was running toward the sideline and Williams was running parallel with James in pursuit when Looney went to block Williams by hitting him in his knees. Williams never saw Looney coming and the block could have been done much differently. IMO it was cheap shot and Looney should be fined for the hit. I have a proposal. For cheap shots that cause the victim of the cheap shot to miss games the guy who delivers the cheap shot should miss the same amount of games with no roster allowance to the offending team.

 

David Carpenter was cut earlier this training camp by the Miami Dolphins and he was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals. After the weekends games the Cards have cut Carpenter. One of the best kickers in the league Carpenter can't seem to keep a job. Unless he's hurt I don't understand how a guy just became a bad kicker. Heck, Carpenter was Boomer's go-to kicker in fantasy the last couple of years when he went with St Louis thunderfoot Greg Zeurlein.

[Guest eagle eye]

Last night the NY Giants did the unthinkable. They played Eli Manning in their game vs the NE Patriots. WTF was Tom Caughlin thinking? Especially in light of the fact that the Giants lost their 3rd down back Andre Brown for big chunk, if not all, the 2013 season with a broken leg. Fantasy players need to note this because it may mean David Wilson will be depended on even more. The Giants still have at least one RB with experience in former Redskin Ryan Torrain but the pickings seem a little slim now that Brown is hurt.

 

The Raiders head coach is not naming a Week 1 starter after Aaron Pryor sort stunk up the joint last night in the preseason finale against the Seahawks but Seattle will do that to a team. They have an elite level defense and they've made Peyton Manning look bad this preseason. Judging by what little I've seen of the Raiders this preseason I think Pryor may be a better choice than Mike Flynn because the Raiders O-line is pretty bad. Either way, from a fantasy standpoint neither guy is getting drafted in anything but the deepest leagues.

 

Last night following the Redskins game vs Tampa Bay RGIII tweeted that he was medically cleared to play in Week 1. Mike Shannahan comfirmed that Griffin's surgeon Dr. James Andrews cleared him to play in the season opener. Shannahan also cautioned those at the press conference following the Redskins win over the Bucs that Dr Andrews has cleared RGIII but still has some reservations and he will have discussions with Andrews and Griffin over the weekend and make a final statement on Monday. The way Shannahan got ripped for playing Griffin in the playoff game vs Seattle when he tore his ACL I'm sure he wants any doubt removed before putting RGIII in harms way against the Eagles next week.

 

The Atlanta Falcons have released LB Brian Banks. Banks is the guy who spent years in jail after being falsely convicted of rape as an 18 year old. Banks got out of prison and resumed what was a promising dream at the time of his arrest to become an NFL player. The fact Banks made the final cutdown speaks well of the player and as a sign of respect the Falcons allowed Banks to address the team after the preseason finale against Jacksonville. To give a rookie UFA a forum in front of the team is sure sign the man earned a lot of respect in that locker room. The message Banks reported left his teammates was to never give up on their dreams and never give up on themselves. Reportedly, it was such a moving speech it moved many players to tears. I kind of hope Dallas can pick him up despite the fact he's 28 years old and a not part of the "youth movement" the Cowboys have been pursuing the last couple of years. Given the fact that Banks is a young 28 because he hasn't been going through 10 years of contact could have make him attractive to the Cowboys and any linebacker starved team in the NFL. Don't be surprised if Banks is signed in the next few days.

 

The NE Patriots have released veteran tight ends Brandon Fells and Jake Ballard. Both were signed a year ago and neither has done anything to earn a roster spot. This would also indicate Rob Gronkowski will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Right now the Pats TE depth chart lists Gronkowski, rookie Zack Sudfeld and veteran Michael Hoomanunui. Sudfeld could have a big impact on the Pats offense especially with Gronk needing time to get into game shape when he is cleared to play.

[Guest eagle eye]

Teams have to get down to their final 53 man roster limit by 6 PM today but that hasn't stopped teams from making cuts early. Here are a few of the notable cuts so far.

 

The Packers have cut Vince Young who looked like a lock to be kept after Graham Harrell was cut earlier this week. Young has played pretty well during the preseason and that is what makes this move such a shocker. The only other QB on the Packers Roster is rookie B J Coleman. Coleman hasn't been all that great in training camp and according to NFL.com the backup to Aaron Rodgers may not be currently on the roster.

 

The Patriots have cut Tim Tebow. Yeah I know, amazing right? He got his shot mainly because offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels drafted Tebow at the end of the first round of the 2010 draft when he was head coach of the Broncos. Everyone knocks Tebow and he isn't the most polished passer going but he wins. That cannot be argued. There should be a place in this read-option NFL for player who is a good leader who wins. Another surprise out of Boston is that pro bowl punter Zoltan Mesko was cut. Mesko was beaten out of his job by rookie Ryan Allen who is the only person to win the Ray Guy award two years running.

 

Seattle is reported as cutting former pro bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield which is a bit of a shock since Seattle signed the cornerback away from the his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, this off off season. The 36 year old Winfield would have been a backup in Seattle's formidable defense but the Seahawks are very deep and apparently don't need Winfield. NFL.com is reporting that Seattle may try to shop Winfield in hopes of getting a trade but since everyone already knows he going to be cut it's unlikely a trade will happen when a team could pick him up for nothing.

 

Kansas City oft injured TE Tony Moeaki is tweeting that he will be released by the Chiefs today. Moeaki has gone through many injuries since he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft. In fact he's spent more time on IR by a long way than he has on the field. Moeaki was delivered another setback when he fractured his shoulder earlier in training camp didn't seem like he was in the new-look Chiefs future anyway. This off season the Chiefs signed former Miami TE Anthony Fasano to a deal and the depth chart seemed to be leaning toward Fasano and rookie from the University of Cincinnati Travis Kelce.

 

The Jets have released former Alabama star QB Greg McElroy today. It's another perplexing move by a very erratic Jets front office who many believe needs to be drug tested. With Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez both nursing injuries the only man left for the Jets is rookie from Tennessee, and Phil Simms other son, Matt Simms who locked up the 3rd string spot with a nice showing vs the Eagles on Thursday night. McElroy could be a nice pick up for Green Bay who is QB poor at the moment except McElroy is nursing an injury of his own. He suffered a knee sprain in practice before the final preseason game.

 

The 49ers have let Austin Collie go today. Collie was a great slot man in Indianapolis before recurring concussion issues derailed him. So far in this year's training camp Collie has remained healthy but he didn't seem to be the player he had been. Worries over his concussions may be a factor in that. The 49ers will go with Anquan Bolden and some no-names at WR to begin the season as Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree begin the season on PUP.

 

 

[Guest eagle eye]

Here are some surprises around the NFL that can or has affected fantasy drafts up to this point after the final cuts were made around the league.

 

In Pittsburgh the leading rusher for the Steelers in the preseason and leading rusher from 2012 has been cut. Jonathan Dwyer is now on the unemployment line. Earlier in the week Pittsburgh traded for ex-Dallas running back Felix Jones who had a nice outing Thursday became the best option over the oft injured Dwyer. So, if you drafted Dwyer you're screwed and you should be hitting the free agent pool and pick up Jones. Jones is just a stop-gap until Le'Veon Bell comes back from a lisfranc foot injury which is 6-8 weeks away.

 

The Terminator couldn't get to John Connor but the Bengals did by cutting the only true fullback on the roster. The Bengals elected to keep a third tight end in Orson Charles and Charles will be the one used as a lead blocked when the Bengals choose to use one. RB Bernard Scott was put on PUP as part of the roster moves to get down to the final 53.

 

The Packers cut RB Alex Green after he began the preseason as the No 1 back on the roster. The emergence of Eddie Lacey seemed to make the injury prone Green expendable.

 

The Giants cut 2011 second round pick Marvin Austin because of numbers glut at defensive tackle. Austin lost out to former Philadelphia DT Mike Patterson who came back this year after missing the last two years due to brain surgery to repair a brain condition. Austin was a second round choice and a team like the Cowboys who are missing and shorthanded on the D-line could use a player with Austin's youth and upside. This player could actually make Dallas' pain in the ass Jay Ratliff expendable.

 

Dallas cut WR's Anthony Armstrong and draft choice in 2012 Danny Coale among the 22 roster moves made today to get their final 53. They also managed to keep S Matt Johnson by putting him on injured reserve. This enables Dallas to retain his rights and it allows him to make a comeback in 2014. Dallas must see something really special in Johnson to go to the lengths they have to keep him.

 

Houston surprised a lot of people with their final cuts. Why? Because they have decided to keep only three RB's on the roster. Who got cut? One was veteran Deji Karim which is a real surprise because of his experience in the NFL. The other cut was Dennis Johnson. The rookie speedster hurt his cause by muffing two punts in the preseason finale against the Cowboys.

[Guest eagle eye]

As expected the Packer cut the only backup QB on their roster, B J Coleman, to make room on the roster to sign Seneca Wallace who had been cut by the 49ers over the weekend. The Packers also signed another former 49er Scott Tolzien to the Packers practice squad. This is the first time the Packers have some security at backup QB since Matt Flynn signed with Seattle in 2012.

 

The news out of Jacksonville is that it looks like Blaine Gabbert will be ready for the Week 1 game this week. Sort of under the radar Jacksonville has put together a nice preseason with a new up-tempo offense that may help Gabbert who was under duress from his 2011 rookie season through last year when he was derided for a seeming lack of heart in the pocket.

 

The Jets have signed QB Brady Quinn to backup Geno Smith going forward. The signing of Quinn is a sign that Mark Sanchez will miss some time with his shoulder injury. To make room for Quinn the Jets released newly signed Graham Harrell who was released by Green Bay last week.

 

It's official now, the Oakland Raiders are now beginning the Terrelle Pryor era. Pryor is taking the first team reps with the team as Week 1 of the 2013 quickly approaches.