Blitz Invitational II League Articles

 

DT:     Starters- Carriker could pay some dividends for being a player taken all the way in the 17^th round. Playing with a healthy Leonard Little and newly added Chris Long will give him all the opportunity in the world to see single coverage inside. Question is whether they play him at the 3-technique or the 1-technique. If he plays the 3, then he could finish the year as a top-10 caliber DT. Grade: B+

            Depth- Ryan Pickett doesn’t quite tickle my fancy. He is right on the cusp of being a DT2 in this 16 team league, but I just do not see the upside or potential for vast improvement from him. Yergs still needs to add a third DT in the waiver period, so he may actually get a bump in his depth grade after doing so. At the moment, I am not all that enthusiastic about it. Grade: C

DE:     Starters- Mario Williams is a top-notch DE and will anchor this unit. He should easily be a top-10 DE and will give Hershey a distinct advantage over many teams week to week. Gaines Adams or Darnell Dockett will be a very suitable DE2 for this team as well. Grade: A

            Depth- The loss of Dockett at DT due to Dockett’s switch to DE lowered their DT grade but will increase their DE depth. Another DE is still needed in the waiver period, but so far the depth is already top-notch. Grade: A-

LB:      Starters- Tatupu and Pierce make for a very solid 1-2 punch at LB. After these two, Hershey needs some journeyman LBs to step up. Dhani Jones and Pat Thomas are both manning the middle at the moment. How long will this last? Will they be 100-tackle players there? If so, this grade is low. If not, it could be a long year at LB. Grade: B-

            Depth- The depth at LB is questionable. If Lawrence Timmons can step up and take charge with Larry Foote down with an injury, then this team gets a boost. Shanle, June and Roth do not provide much “umph” coming off the bench. Grade: C+

CB:     Starters- Nick Harper should continue to be a solid contributor. He is a very sure tackler and teams will likely prefer throwing at him over Finnegan. Asomugha will benefit greatly from the addition of D.Hall and will return to prominence this season. Very solid starting pair. Grade: B+

            Depth- Once Dunta Robinson comes back, this group will have great depth. Robinson is easily a CB2 and maybe a CB1 in this format. Having him as insurance will do wonders. Jennings will be given every opportunity to step up in Seattle and should be targeted a lot opposite of Trufant. Grade: B+ (A+ when Robinson returns)

S:         Starters- It will be hard to beat the starting pair of Adrian Wilson and Donte Whitner. These are two guys that are only one year removed from being number one safeties in this league (both top 17 in 2006). I expect a return to dominance for Wilson and a strong ride from these two. Grade: A+

            Depth- McCree might lose his job to Manuel. Allen is already losing his to Crocker. Depth is severely lacking. That said, this team will not need depth as long as Wilson and Whitner can remain healthy. Still, the depth is what it is. Grade: D+

 

 

DT:     Starters- Griffin was a DT1 caliber player in this league only a year ago. However, last year he really lost value and wasn’t much more then a DT2 (I know because I sadly owned him). This year there is some hope since he will be playing next to Jason Taylor and should benefit from all of the attention Taylor will see. Good, but not great. Grad: B-

            Depth- Howard and Kemoeatu will not provide much upside or value and will likely be fillers on bye weeks, etc. Howard used to have value as a DE, but now with the Eagles using Cole, Parker and Clemons, Howard will be relegated to DT behind Patterson and Bunkley. Not much value here. Kemoeatu doesn’t get to play next to Peppers anymore either, with Peppers going to the right side. Grade: C-

DE:     Starters- Derrick Burgess should bounce back and be a low tier DE1 or high tier DE2. Mark Anderson or Antwan Odom will need to step up in order to provide another starting caliber DE. Not too pretty. Grade: C

            Depth- Not too sold on the depth of this unit either. One or Odom or Anderson will provide depth alongside J.Parker. They will be able to plug in and give some 6-8 pt games and such, but not much else. Grade: C

LB:      Starters- All of the low grades for Mr. Sheiner at other positions are trumped by his high grade here. He will be able to trot out a starting line-up that will include Harris, Crowell and Farrior in the 100 tackle club and one of Ware or Phillips to provide the big performance plays. Very stout group. Grade: A-

            Depth- The depth is somewhat limited due to the fact that the roster only has five LBs to speak of. They are all quality LBs, however. The grade would be higher if there were a 6^th LB to provide additional depth, but if Big Slick plans on playing a Nickel or Dime defense then the five LBs provide two to three LBs worth of depth. Grade: B+ (Could be higher if there were a greater quantity of backup players)

CB:     Starters- It’s hard to necessarily pick out which two of these CBs will actually start. There are five very solid CBs on this squad, but Griffin and Jackson will likely be the main contributors. Both have CB1 potential and are top-20 players at the CB position. Top-notch starters here. Grade: A

            Depth- Samuel, Newman and McKelvin provide depth that could rival most starters for other teams. Not only are the players of quality, but the quantity provides immense depth at the CB position. Grade: A+

S:         Starters- I think McGowan could be a S1 in this league and very well may have the upside to be a top-ten contributor at the safety position this year. After McGowan, Big Slick needs to have one of Demps, Chavous or Manuel to step up. Chavous should be that guy and provide another solid year of S2 production. Grade: B

            Depth- It’s hard to give a complete grade here without knowing if Manuel wins out on the SS job in Denver. At the moment, I expect him to and thus bump the depth grade up a bit. Will Demps was a monster down the stretch last year, and if he can perform similarly this coming season, then he may jump into the starting lineup for Big Slick. Grade: A-

 

 

DT:     Starters- One of Babineaux or McCargo will need to step up to be the starter for this bunch. I don’t see either being particularly good or a DT1 in this league. Babineaux will likely have to be the man here and the only positive for him is that he should see less attention playing between big ‘ol Grady Jackson and John Abraham. I know Babineaux had some numbers last year, but I am not sold on him. Not too thrilled here. Grade: C-

            Depth- Depth is severely lacking here. Quinn Pitcock is no longer with my beloved Colts and will likely be cut from Grimmett’s roster soon. McCargo isn’t even starting for his NFL team and will likely not provide much help either. I see both of these guys being cut and replaced in time. Hopefully Grimmett sees something that I do not with these fellas. Grade: D

DE:     Starters- Both of the perceived starters here are borderline DE2/DE3 caliber players. Smith and Edwards will need to step up to provide help for this group. Edwards should have every chance to shine while playing with Allen, and the double-Williams connection. Still, don’t see much contribution coming from this group. Grade: C-

            Depth- Based on statistical output history, Keisel and Green will provide exactly what is needed from them: average DE3 and DE4 value. They thus earn an average grade. Grade: C

LB:      Starters- Just like with Sheiner’s team, Grimmett picks up the slack with his stellar LBs. Trotting out a group that consists of Witherspoon, Brackett, Lenon and Hayes is quite nice. As long as Lenon holds off Dizon in the middle (which might be till at least mid-season if not beyond), this group will be very, very dangerous. Grade: A-

            Depth- Leroy Hill and Ben Leber provide good value and depth for Grimmett. Hill is really more of a borderline LB3/LB4 in this format and he is the 5^th guy on this squad. A nice luxury to have. Grade: A-

CB:     Starters- Fielding the pairing of Deangelo Hall and Charles Tillman is top-notch here. Both should be consistent CB1-type producers and play for defenses that will be on the field a whole lot due to offensive ineptitude. Grade: A

            Depth- Not only are the starters here good, but so is the depth. Tye Hill and Andre Goodman may not be the most talented corners, but the good thing is that their lack of talent may make them a target for other teams. This could provide above average numbers for two guys that I normally wouldn’t consider top-notch. Nothing spectacular, but the cabinet is nowhere near barren either. Grade: B+

S:         Starters- Kerry Rhodes and Michael Lewis provide a 1-2 punch that is much better then last year’s numbers would lead you to believe. Rhodes is only one year removed from top-5 status and Lewis finished just outside the top-5 at #6 last year. Very, very tough pairing to face. Grade: A+

            Depth- Landry and Godfrey provide the necessary depth and Landry is probably going to be good enough to start for most teams this year in this league. Quality and quantity here. Grade: A-

 

 

DT:     Starters- It’s hard to tell which of these two perennial forces will be the true starter here. Both Kevin Williams and John Henderson are beasts on the football field. For some reason that hasn’t translated to the fantasy scope as much over the past two years. Both were solid DT2 guys last year, and both were right on the cusp of being DT1s the year before. One of them will likely break out and return to prominence. My money is on Henderson. Grade: B+

            Depth- Having a perennial DT2 with DT1 potential (Williams) on your bench is a luxury most do not have in this league. “The Dick” has that. Grade: A-

DE:     Starters- Taylor and Dumervil provide some great big play potential at DE. Both are hurt right now and questionable for week one, but both will be fine long term. It’s going to be hard to top this combo of two top-15 DEs. Grade: A

            Depth- Richard Seymour’s best days are behind him and Charles Johnson has yet to really show anything in his career thus far. While the starters are excellent, they better stay healthy. Grade: C-

LB:      Starters- Wow. Talk about potential and high upside here. Bulluck, Zach Thomas, Vilma and Nate Webster headline this group. If this were 2005 then we would be handing the title over right now. Luckily it isn’t. That being said, this group has some high risk, high reward upside. I believe Bulluck and Vilma bounce back big. Not so sure about Thomas. He will be serviceable. As will the newly crowned Denver MLB. Grade: A

            Depth- Tinoisamoa and Siler are below average as far as depth goes. Either may be able to start in a pinch, but neither will be a top 80ish LB this year IMO. Grade: C-

CB:     Starters- You could do far, far worse then a pairing of Cromartie and Woodson. Both are very good CB2s with CB1 upside. Neither is that sure-fire CB1 that you may want, but one of them may develop into that this year. Grade: B+

            Depth- Fairly deep group. Having Smoot, McCauley and Talib on the bench will give “The Dick” many options as the year wears on. All three of them are currently nickel corners (at best) for their NFL teams. However, all will have the chance to contribute and one of this group will likely break out to provide solid depth. Grade: B+

S:         Starters- Jones and Atogwe are both top-notch safeties that could be top-15 players at their position once again. Another team in this division with very good safeties. Grade: A

            Depth- Sharper is getting older and producing less. He is still a S3 though and basically gives “The Dick” a bye week filler. Not much here, but still average. Grade: C

 

 

 

DT:     Starters- I’d love to hate on Ryan for buying into the Jovan Haye hype, but I simply cannot. All of you Blitz 2.0 vets may remember a certain someone asking for a certain Jovan Haye to be added to the draft software last year so he could be selected (shameless plug for the Necros here :-P) and he performed beautifully. The 3-technique DT in a Tampa-2 is solid if the player is somewhat talented. Haye is. Grade: A

            Depth- Tank Johnson and Corey Redding are both talented players who are good when they are motivated and have their head on straight. Redding is only a year removed from top-10 prominence. Very solid depth. Grade A-

DE:     Starters- Vanden Bosch and Mathis will both be top-20 Des this year and will form another very difficult pairing to face. As Freeney gets healthy, Mathis will see less attention and will be back to his top-10 self. Vanden Bosch could be even better this year with an improved Tennessee D-Line that has added Jason Jones and Jevon “I used to be a freak” Kearse. Grade: A

            Depth- I can’t even knock Ryan down a peg on the depth. Castillo was a 10+ ppg scorer when healthy a year ago. Spicer will likely hang on to his job and continue his top 30ish performance due to Derrick Harvey’s holdout. Great Depth. Grade: A

LB:      Starters- I was waiting to say “Ha ha here is where Ryan takes a hit,” but I can’t even say that when you are able to trot out a linebacking corps of Posluszny, Dansby and Wilhelm. With Cooper out four games, Wilhelm may become what all the IDP experts expected him to be last year: The next Donnie Edwards. I personally do not like Pace as a LB4, but he has looked good so far this preseason. Grade: A-

            Depth- I am not sold on the depth here. Diles will be lucky to keep that SLB spot in Houston and Harris is already riding the bench in KC. Not much here. Grade: D+

CB:     Starters- This is the first group I am not sold on and do not like. Brown and Bryant may both be lower tier CB2s, but neither is going to set the world on fire in my opinion. They may be ok, but nothing much above average. Grade: C

            Depth- I’m not entirely sure what to make of the depth here. I am not a fan of Florence or his potential Grimes will be interesting, however. Being a rookie that will likely start for a very sub par secondary, Grimes may get picked on and put up CB3 or maybe even CB2 numbers as a result. It is a real crapshoot here, but I’d say it’s slightly above average based on Grimes’ potential. Grade: B-

S:         Starters- When healthy, Gibril Wilson and Madieu Williams will provide a pairing of two top-10 safeties. I can’t even downgrade the team based on Williams’ injury due to the depth. Grade: A

            Depth- Excellent depth. Rolle will likely be a S2 caliber player and Bullocks was a borderline top-10 safety prior to this off-season. Kaesviharn is ahead of him now, but Ryan doesn’t need Bullocks right away. He can wait to see if he reclaims his spot. Grade: A

 

 

DT:     Starters- Can’t beat Gregg when it comes to consistency and reliability. I was secretly holding out hope for him, but he went one round before I planned on grabbing him. Grade: A

            Depth- I am not sure that I believe that Tony Brown can replicate his success from last year with the Jason Jones pushing him for playing time. That said, Brown was an overachiever last year and Warren was still an adequate DT2. So Mr. Dawson has the depth here regardless. Grade: B

DE:     Starters-Here is where things get a bit rough. MrFball had a super-pairing of Umenyiora and Ogunleye prior to Osi’s devastating injury. Luckily, the team has the depth to overcome this injury, but it will never be the pairing that it was unless Kearse can turn back the clock around five years. Grade: B- (would have been an A with Osi)

            Depth- The depth was stellar before Osi went down and the depth had to be utilized to fill a starting role. Kearse or Anderson will still provide adequate depth. It just won’t be what it could have been. By the way, Anderson already has more sacks this preseason then all of last year. Grade: B- (Would have been A-)

LB:      Starters- Great group here. Henderson, Rivers and Keiaho will anchor this group and Durant will prove to be a solid contributor in the end. Another team with a very good starting four. Beware the fragile Keiaho. He likes to break hearts, and limbs. Grade: A-

            Depth- Not sure what to make of the depth here. At the time of the draft it was great. Tony Taylor was holding off Lofton. Demorrio Williams was a potential starting WLB in KC. Now, both of those guys may ride the bench and Akin Ayodele is all that remains. Still, Ayodele will be decent and maybe Taylor or Williams will step up at some point this year and further the depth. Grade: C+

CB:     Starters-McGee is a top-10 CB and a prime CB1. Flowers will likely get targeted early and often as a rookie starting in a poor secondary in KC. Even if Flowers doesn’t pan out, Eric Green is still a CB2 of value. Good group. Grade: B+

            Depth- Green provides depth along with Dre Bly. Bly should see plenty of attention operating opposite of Champ Bailey. Solid depth here with a CB3 that’s really a CB2 and a CB4 that’s really a CB3. Grade: B+

S:         Starters- Not too sold on the crew that is assembled at the back end of this defense. C.C. Brown is a suitable S2 for this squad and will be good for 11-12 ppg. The real question is Mike Brown. Can he stay on the field? Can the guy who has only played 21 of 54 games in the past four years stay healthy? I’m not sold on it and as a result the grade is below where some may factor it if they have faith in Brown. Grade: C+

            Depth- Depth is also an issue with the only backup being Ken Hamlin, who was a borderline S3/S4 last year. Hopefully he produces more this year and resembles the Hamlin from Seattle days. Grade: C+

 

 

 

DT:     Starters- Haynesworth is such a force that he may be the most dangerous DT in the game when on the field. That being said, he is good to miss four games per year without blinking an eye. I am relying on him performing in his second straight contract year. If he can give be another 9 ppg performance (when he plays), I’ll smile. Grade: A-

            Depth- With Haynesworth good for missing four games a year, it is important to have depth here. Glenn Dorsey is a boom or bust pick as the top backup. Ed Johnson only has value if he can win out to start alongside Brock in Indy. If Dorsey flops, the depth is horrible in a spot where it is much needed due to injury history. Grade: C+

DE:     Starters- Kampman and Peppers will likely be able to rival just about any other DE pairing in the league. Kampman is a perennial top-10 DE and Peppers was still a DE2 in this league in a down year. These guys are one year removed from both being top-8 players at their position. I obviously feel Peppers will bounce back. Hopefully I am not wrong. Grade: A

            Depth- Ouch. Took a gamble that Gholston may stay at DE and that back-fired. The only added depth was one Derrick Harvey…..the same Derrick Harvey that is the only holdout left. Great job Mr. Diggs…..lowest grade yet: Grade: D-

LB:      Starters- Here is where my bias may come into play. I have no problem matching this linebacker corps up against any in the league. Willis should remain a top-5 LB and Howard and D’Qwell Jackson should provide a bottom tier LB2 and top-tier LB3 pairing. The LB4 spot may be manned by either Bruschi or A.Davis. I am banking on Davis hanging onto that job and wearing that blessed headset helmet all year. If he doesn’t then this grade would drop. One of these two will hopefully be a 100 tackle LB4. Grade: A-

            Depth- The depth is pretty solid but not necessarily spectacular. Bruschi should be a more then adequate LB5 and one of Woodley or Gholston may step up to that LB6 role. There is enough depth to fill the bye weeks and deal with an injury, but nothing too major. Grade: B

CB:     Starters- I will try to remain unbiased here. Ike Taylor is a lower tier CB1 and Barber is one year removed from being a top-3 CB in this format. If Barber really has lost it, then this pair is in some trouble. If he returns to 2006 form, then this pair is top-notch. I am banking on somewhere in the middle. Grade: B

            Depth- Depth here is limited in name and stature. McDonald and Kelly are not sexy names that will strike fear in the hearts of fantasy opponents. I am banking on teams picking on them both due to the presence of better CBs opposite of them. I am holding out particular hope for teams targeting McDonald and avoiding Eric Wright. That has not happened so far this preseason. Waiver wire here I come! Grade: C-

S:         Starters- Harrison is a bottom rung S1 and most likely a top tier S2. Polamalu is a top tier S2 and maybe a bottom tier S1. Either way you slice it, this group will be adequate but will not overpower many match-ups with opponents for the Necromongers. They will allow them to keep pace and their grade reflects that. Grade: B+

            Depth- Bethea is a S2 and is only being relied on to be a S3 for this group. He is only one year removed from being a top-20 safety and should provide the necessary depth. Tyrell Johnson may provide depth if he can hang onto a starting job in Minny….which may be unlikely. Grade: A-

 

 

DT:     Starters- Ngata is a force to be reckoned with and a top-10 DT in this league. He should allow Craig to keep pace in most matchups with his opponents and is a very solid DT1. Grade: B

            Depth- Jamal Williams is only one year removed from being a top-8 DT in this format. He should revert to form and add valuable depth along with Travis Johnson. Even if he does not, he is still a middle of the pack DT2. Grade: A-

DE:     Starters- Little is coming off an injury plagued year and should round back into DE1 form this year playing on a line with Carriker and Chris Long. Charles Grant is only one year removed from being a DE1 in this format, but his best years may be behind him. He will provide decent DE2 capacity, but nothing overwhelming. Grade: B-

            Depth- Aaron Smith and Cullen Jenkins provide decent depth here, but nothing special if Little doesn’t stay healthy or if Grant doesn’t return to 2006 form. Just average. Grade: C

LB:      Starters- The 1-2-3 punch of Fletcher (I refuse to call him Fletcher-Baker), J.Harrison and Greenwood should be more then suitable as long as Harrison wasn’t a one year wonder last season. I think Harrison will be good, but not great. The 4^th LB spot will have to be filled by one of Fowler, Okeafor or Koutouvides. This looked a lot better when Koutouvides was starting. Grade: B-

            Depth- Fowler is the guy most likely to provide the depth, along with Okeafor. Not much depth here and it may hurt if one of the big 3 suffers any significant injury. Grade: D

CB:     Starters- Love the starting CBs here. Clements and Hayden should be a 1-2 tandem that can rival any in the league. Grade: A

            Depth- The depth here has some upside with Jammer and Ross, but based on last year’s numbers they are low tier CB3 and CB4 candidates. I expect Ross to be improved and better then he’s advertised. As a result I will bump the mark up a bit more then most people would. Grade: B

S:         Starters- Landry and Hart are yet another solid safety combo. Hart finished just out of the S1 range and Landry was firmly entrenched in the middle of the S2 range. Solid pairing that will compete with most teams. Grade: B

            Depth- One of Smith or Alexander will start at SS in Detroit and both may start in the back end of the Lions’ defense together. As such, one will provide adequate depth behind Landry and Hart. The other may be replaced, but the depth is still solid.

 

 

 

 

DT:     Starters- Tommie Harris is a talented player who gets off the snap quicker then just about every other DT in the game. That said, he is a 6-7 ppg DT and has finished as a low DT1 or high DT2 for the past two years. He will be solid, but unspectacular.

            Depth- Bunkley and Jenkins add some depth. I am not entirely sure what to make of Jenkins. He is talented, but the move to the 3-4 could help or hurt him. He is typically a low end DT2 with around a 5-5.5 ppg average. He should provide some depth, but nothing special. Grade: C+

DE:     Starters- Schobel and Tuck will be another one of those DE tandems that you really do not want to face. Schobel is a perennial top-10 DE and Tuck looked like the next big thing last season. I am not 100% sure what Osi’s injury means for Tuck. It will likely mean more opportunity, but also more attention. Either way, a very nice pairing. Grade: A-

            Depth- Ty Warren is only one year removed from being a top-10 guy. Brayton isn’t anything special, but Warren should be enough to help carry this team if there is an injury or if Tuck struggles. Grade: B

LB:      Starters- Ray Lewis and Briggs lead the charge for a very well rounded linebacking corps. Brooks is an ageless wonder and J.Peterson adds big-play potential. Combine that with Bradley’s chance to shine in the middle in Philly and you have five guys who could all help carry this team. Very nice group here. Grade: A

            Depth- This group is not only good up top, but also very deep. One of Bradley, Peterson and Brooks will be on the bench. Daryl Smith is also formidable on the bench as well. Tulloch could even provide some fill-in potential if he keeps the MLB job away from Fowler. Very deep group. Grade: A+

CB:     Starters- Not a big fan of this group at all. Leon Hall and Anthony Henry may be asked to carry this group, which is not good. Darin may be banking on picking up the CBs that come out of nowhere every year to help fill his roster. If he is forced to go with what he has, the CBs will be ugly. Hall is the top guy, and he’s a questionable CB2 at best. Grade: D

            Depth- Randall Gay is the only depth right now. Considering that he could lose out to Tracy Porter, that isn’t too good. Minimal depth behind minimal starters.

S:         Starters- Huff and Roy Williams will be good enough to get by. I am not a fan of Williams at all, but the guy puts up fantasy numbers in this format despite his lack of coverage skills on the field. Darin walked out with a lower half S1 and an upper half S2. Grade: B+

            Depth- Brian Williams and Tanard Jackson are the depth here. Williams is a top tier S3 and Jackson a mid tier S4. So this group certainly above average. Grade: B

 

 

DT:     Starters- One of Tommie Kelly or Marcus Stroud will start here. Kelly is the likely candidate and has great upside. He has been a solid DL for the past couple years and will move to Warren Sapp’s old 3-technique spot….which has been a big producer. Grade: A-

            Depth- Stroud and Rocky Bernard are being relied on for depth. Stroud is supposedly healthy, but we are yet to see just how he fits with his new team. Stroud is playing with a lesser DT partner then John Henderson, but that may mean more stats and stops for him. Either way, Stroud is a top-tier DT2. Grade: A-

DE:     Starters- The “monkey man” gambled and won with his selection of Suggs in the 6^th round. Suggs stayed listed at his DE spot and he can now be paired with Kerney to form one of the most dangerous DE pairings in the league. Almost two top-10 guys here. Very dangerous. Grade: A

            Depth- Chris Long and Bobby McCray are being relied on for depth. McCray will get some PT but not enough to really be a solid contributor in my opinion. That leaves Long. He has big potential, but we will see if he can fill it. Grade: B

LB:      Starters- The names may not jump off of the page at you, but a starting LB corps of Morrison, Boley, Crowder and Scott should be more then suitable. This group is just a tick below some of the other top-notch groups out there, but will not lose any games for Stack. Grade: B+

            Depth- Two definitive starters on the bench provides good depth here. Wilkinson should finally get his crack at the weak-side spot in the Meadowlands, and Spikes should jump in and start at the TED inside LB spot right away in SF. Nothing overwhelming, but more then suitable. Two likely 10+ ppg guys for depth is pretty darn solid. Grade: B

CB:     Starters- It’s tough to tell who will start out of this group. The depth is amazing, but the starters will be a bit subpar. My guess would be Hood and Springs to start the year, with Hood eventually giving way to one of Brown, Madison or Porter. Below average starters, but good depth. Grade: C-

            Depth- Once again, what is sacrificed in starting talent is made up for in depth. This team basically has four CB2-caliber talents from which to pick and provide depth. Porter could be a nice scoop if he hangs on to the job opposite of McKenzie and gets targeted as much as that scrub Jason David was last season. Grade: A

S:         Starters- I really like the upside of the starting pair of Reggie Nelson and Yermiah Bell. The numbers do not support it, but sometimes you have to go with your gut. I think Bell could be a 90+ tackle guy and Nelson can progress and improve on his low-tier S2 ranking from last year. The numbers suggest a “C” grade…my gut says higher. Always go with your gut. Grade: B

            Depth- Dexter Jackson is the only depth here. He will start the season at SS in Cincy while Ndukwe rehabs. If Jackson holds the spot all year, then the depth grade could be higher. I expect Ndukwe to eventually reclaim the spot and limit the depth here. That is why the grade is not so formidable. Grade: C-

 

 

DT:     Starters- Christian waited to fill this position and it shows. Shaun Smith had the numbers last year to suggest that he is a DT1, but the Browns brought in big Shaun Rogers to take his spot at NT. This may mean that Sharkey is relegated to starting Glover or Hovan. Both of them are middle tier DT2s. Not too thrilled about that. Grade: C-

            Depth- The depth is at least solid with those two middle tier DT2s. What Christian lacks in a quality starter he makes up for in some depth. Grade: B-

DE:     Starters- Pick two out of Abraham, Geathers and Justin Smith. Smith and Abraham will likely be the guys. In 2006, this group would have been pretty decent. By 2007, they were both middle to low tier DE2 options. I think they will be decent, but only slightly above average. Grade: C+

            Depth- Currently Sharkey only has one backup and that’s Geathers. He will move back to his typical DE spot this year and be good for decent DE3 numbers with low-tier DE2 upside. The grade will rise a bit when a 4^th player is added to the fray. Grade: B-

LB:      Starters- Ryans, Peterson, T.Davis and D.Johnson. Very good group here. Christian scooped both Peterson AND Davis one pick in front of me on two occasions. That rat :-). I actually really like this group and think that all four of these guys could be in the top 30-35 LBs by the end of the year. Grade: A+

            Depth- The depth here is a bit weak, with only Kiwanuka and Laboy available. If Kiwi goes back to DE with his recent positional switch in New York, then the depth here really plummets. Grade: C-

CB:     Starters- Champ Bailey and Fred Bennett are the slated starters, but Bennett will be pushed for PT by Chris Houston and Jonathan Joseph on this team. Either way, this team has a legit Cb1 and a few options for CB2. Grade: B+

            Depth- With Houston, Joseph and Will Allen on the bench, this group is not only good, but deep. Joseph is a top-tier CB3 and will approach CB2 status this year. Houston could be a top CB3 as well. Good, solid depth here. Grade: A-

S:         Starters- Pollard and Ndukwe were drafted to be the starters, but Ndukwe’s injury will relegate him to the Cincy bench to start the year. So he will fall to Sharkey’s bench too. His likely replacement is Erik Coleman at the moment. Good, but not great.

            Depth- Ndukwe will help with the depth once he is healthy, but only if he can re-claim his starting spot from Dexter Jackson in Cincy. Kenny Phillips should be starting by mid-season for the G-Men, if not before. Once he does he will also threaten to jump into Sharkey’s lineup. The depth is shallow to start the year, but good by mid-season. I’ll split the grade down the middle as a result. Grade: B-

 

 

DT:     Starters- Pat Williams will be the man here and will provide a middle tier DT1. It will be interesting to see how that stud D-Line in Minny divvies up the pieces of the pie. Pat Williams is still big enough to devour his share of the pie. Grade: B

            Depth- Brock and Hollis Thomas are the backups. Brock is a classic overachiever who is good for around 7 ppg. This makes him a perennial Dt1/DT2 borderline player. That is nice depth to have in a pinch. Grade: B+

DE:     Starters- Trent Cole and Darryl Tapp will anchor this unit. Cole is a stud and will be a top-10 DE again this year. I’m not entirely sure what to make of Tapp. He started to realize his potential last year, but will likely lose some time to rookie DE Lawrence Jackson this year. Tapp may be relegated to being a pass rush specialist. This may knock his value down to a low end DE2. Grade: B

            Depth- Greg White and Kelsay are the depth providers for Leo. Both of them will fight for time on their NFL teams. White with Gaines Adams, and Kelsay with Ryan Denney. In the end, you could do worse then these two. They should both be middle of the pack DE3s and will provide the depth necessary for Leo’s squad. Grade: B-

LB:      Starters- Beason, Lofton, McIntosh and Mitchell will be yet another good group of LBs fielded on Sunday. Vrabel may also enter into the fray as well. That said, while this group is solid, they will not be spectacular unless Lofton becomes this year’s Ryans or Willis. I think Lofton will be good, but not that good. Grade: B-

            Depth- Vrabel and DiGiorgio will be the bench guys early on. I simply do not see Vrabel repeating his career sack year. Despite that, he should be good for around 13 ppg and will be a borderline LB4 that is only counted on for LB5 duty. DiGiorgio will further the depth if one of the Buffalo LBs goes down. For the time being, the grade is based only on Vrabel until we see DiGiorgio take the field. Grade: B

CB:     Starters- Winfield and Finnegan. Wow. Two top-notch CBs that are tackling machines. The only knock on them is that Finnegan hasn’t done this for very long. That is a weak argument. He should remain a top-tier IDP CB and Tennessee paid him like it this off-season. Grade: A+

            Depth- Rogers and McKenzie are both tough cover corners that play the press well. They both are good for some numbers when healthy, but neither is really 100% at the moment. Still, for depth purposes these two are more then suitable and both should remain CB3 caliber players this season. Grade B

S:         Starters- Based on the numbers, Sammy Knight and Deon Grant should be a suitable duo. Knight was a S1 last year and Grant a middle-tier S2. That being said, I don’t have faith in Knight being nearly as productive with the Giants and I don’t know if he gets overtaken by Kenny Phillips at some point this year, or if the Giants keep Phillips at FS. I see this group more-so as a pairing of mid S2 prospects. Grade: C+

            Depth- Ko Simpson will be a middle-of-the-pack FS this year, but Hamza Abdullah may provide the necessary depth for this team. Right now Abdullah is stuck behind Manuel and McCree, but I’m not sure how long that will last. Abdullah should crack this lineup eventually and hopefully Simpson can hold down the fort until then. Either way, this group will not be anything special and will be par for the course in terms of providing depth. Grade: C

 

 

 

DT:     Starters- Patterson has been a DT1 in this league for each of the past two years and rose all the way up to top-five status last year. With that in mind, Jeremy is set at DT as long as Patterson can remain healthy. Grade: A-

            Depth- The depth is limited at the moment due to lack of roster compliance. That being said, Dwayne Robertson is not a bad backup to have. He has performed the same in the Jets’ 4-3 (2006) as in the 3-4 last year. So his move to Denver and the 4-3 should not have too much of an impact on his numbers. He still will be a top-notch DT2 or low DT1. Once a third DT is added the grade will be even higher. Grade B+

DE:     Starters- Hali will be a viable start here, but one of Olshansky or Shaun Ellis will need to step up to fill the other spot. Neither of them was much more then a DE3 last year, but Ellis is only one year removed from being a low-end DT2. Either way this group is a bit below average. Grade: C-

            Depth- Another DE needs to be added off of the waiver wire to provide depth. Olshanksy will likely be the first guy off of the bench and he is a decent DT3. Still, the depth is not what it needs to be just yet. I’m sure Jeremy will address this when waivers open. Grade: C-

LB:      Starters- Urlacher, Hawk and Thomas form a pretty good base for this group. The three of them should be good for 45-48 pts a week. The 4^th LB spot is a bit murky at the moment. One of Fujita, Leon Williams or Wimbley will need to step up. The good news is that Jeremy has the depth in other areas where he may not need to play four LBs if he doesn’t choose to. Grade: B

            Depth- The depth is quite solid right now. Wimbley seems like he could be primed for a reversion to 2006 form this year. That would make him a very suitable LB5. According to the numbers, Fujita is a middle tier LB3; regardless of what I think. Leon Williams will be great again if he can unseat Andra Davis later in the year, just as he did last season. Anthony Waters will have the outside chance to claim a starting spot while Cooper is out on his suspension. Solid depth. Grade: B+

CB:     Starters- The pairing of Trufant and Revis give The Sire a pairing of two top-10 CBs and two playmakers that should contribute at CB1 levels this season again. Tough pairing to beat. Grade: A+

            Depth- I really like the depth here with Bartell and Rashean Mathis. Mathis is only one year removed from being a mid-tier CB2 in this league and Bartell was also a CB2-caliber player last year as well. Chris Gamble could also provide some depth, but chances are one of these guys will be cut to get under roster requirements and he’d likely be the guy. Either way, great depth here. Grade: A-

S:         Starters- Another absolutely beastly pairing here with two top-10 (actually top-6) safeties in Bob Sanders and Jermaine Phillips. This is arguably the best safety combo in the league, if they can stay healthy. If not, the depth is still there anyhow. Grade: A+ (I’d add an extra plus if I could)

            Depth- Mickell and Weddle are both young, up-and-comers who should contribute considerably this coming year. Weddle really came on in the play-offs last year and showed the kind of playmaker he can be. Mickell performed at a S2 level all season and should continue to do so. Grade: A

 

 

DT:     Starters- Okoye is going to have to step up in his sophomore year if the Matadores are to have a decent starter here. I think Okoye has the talent to do it. Not sure if he puts it together this year or not. Grade: C+

            Depth- Only Fred Robbins here to speak of. Not too much. The numbers say Robbins is a middle-of-the-pack DT2, but I just don’t subscribe to that logic regardless of what the numbers say. A third DT is yet to be added, so for the time being the grade will remain low. Grade: D+

DE:     Starters- Will smith and Alex Brown will lead this group. Smith is a lower end DE1, but there really isn’t a strong DE2 candidate on the roster currently. Brown is more of a DE3 and Freeney is too hit-or-miss and is coming off an injury that will limit him early on. And I HATE saying anything bad about Freeney. Regardless, this team will struggle a bit after Smith. Grade: B-

            Depth- The depth could be decent if Freeney does come back healthy. Freeney or Brown can combine with Holliday and Roye to provide some depth. Roye’s best days are long gone, but Holliday may still have a bit left in the tank as a DE4. Grade: B-

LB:      Starters- Barnett, Ruud, Gaither and Bradie James will lead this group initially. That core will be around 5 or so ppg behind most of the other strong LB corps in the league, but will be suitable. If Dizon or Lawson steps up, this grade could rise even higher. Grade: B

            Depth- Lawson and Dizon provide the depth right now. I have high hopes for Dizon, but he may take half a year to replace Lenon….maybe more. Lawson will be hit or miss for most of the year in my opinion. He will provide LB5 potential but will be up and down. Depth is limited to start, but good by mid season. Grade: B-

CB:     Starters- Richard Marshall will lead this group and provide a very stellar CB1. Hobbs will likely have to serve as the CB2 to start and he is just out of the CB2 realm based on last year’s numbers. I expect him to improve and provide low-end CB2 numbers. The lack of a better CB2 lowers the grade a bit, but Marshall still keeps it up there. Grade: B+

            Depth- I am actually a fan of some of the depth offered on the Matadores bench. McCallister is only a year removed from being a 10 ppg CB and he is no longer considered a “shut down” guy. Hence, he should be thrown at more often and have more opportunities when he’s healthy. Rodgers-Cromartie could crack the lineup in AZ by mid-year and will be targeted a lot when he does. As it is now, he will likely be targeted when he is in there for Nickel and Dime duties. Fisher is still hanging on to a starting role in Detroit, but I don’t expect that to last for too long. Grade: B+

S:         Starters- Here is where the Matadores make up some ground! The pairing of Chris Harris and Roman Harper is probably the best safety pairing in the league and the only one that can trump the Sanders/Phillips combo. I tried to avoid having to give out an extra plus, but here I just have to. Grade: A++

            Depth- Ed Reed may be a bit overrated, but only a few years ago, he was a defensive MVP and a fantasy nightmare for opponents to face. I am not sure if he will ever return to that level, but he will be a more then suitable S3. The only knock on the depth here is that Reed is currently hurt and there is no one left for depth behind him. Grade: B+

 

 

DT:     Starters- Rogers will lead this group and is a force to be reckoned with when healthy and motivated. However, it is yet to be seen how the move to the 3-4 will affect his numbers. Systematically, Rogers is adapting to the switch well. As for the impact on his stats, it’s anyone’s guess. I think he will be a low DT1 or a high DT2. Grade: B-

            Depth- Wilfork is a very good DT2 and is only a year removed from DT1 status. Peko had a respectable year last year and is a good DT3 with DT2 upside. Grade: A-

DE:     Starters- This group is not all that thrilling. Greg White and Kenyon Coleman were suitable last year and both were top notch DE2s. However, neither of them has any particular upside. Coleman was a steady tackler, but didn’t provide much else. If his tackles slip (which can happen quite often year to year for DEs) then this group could be in a bit of trouble. Grade: C+

            Depth- Robaire Smith and KGB don’t provide anything but marginal DE depth. Smith could see his tackles rise or fall depending on Rogers’ success. KGB is what he is…a 6-7 ppg De. This team will likely chase consistency from the DE spot all year. Luckily random DEs pop up all the time and will hopefully be around to scoop up. Grade C

LB:      Starters- Sims, Greenway and Thornton form a very stellar foundation to build upon. The three of them were good for 48 ppg last year and with a suitable LB4 would wreak havoc. Merriman might be that guy. I worry about his knee, though and do not expect him to last the year. When he does play I don’t think he will nearly be as “Lights Out” as he normally was. Grade: B

            Depth- Joey Porter and Boss Bailey are the depth providers here. I am not sold on either of them. Porter is a shell of his former self and Bailey has never taken well to the SLB position. Plus he can never stay healthy or productive. Porter should at least be a solid LB5….but if he needs to step up and be the LB4, then there may be problems. Grade: C+

CB:     Starters- I really like Bodden and Wright….a lot. Bodden should continue to shine in Detroit. I was worried that Wright but be thrown away from some now that Bodden is gone and McDonald is on the other side. If this preseason is any indication. That will not be the case. Both of these guys will be CB1s and provide quality numbers for the ‘Heroes. Grade: A

            Depth- Walt Harris and Ken Lucas are both top-tier CB3s and will provide suitable depth for the Lazyboy franchise. Both can be counted on to be around the 10 ppg mark. As long as Lucas doesn’t piss Steve Smith off then the depth here should be just fine. Grade: B

S:         Starters- This group is good enough that it is hard to tell which of the three potentially top-30 guys will start on a weekly basis. My early money is on Bigby and Hope. Bigby will be a low tier 1 safety, but Hope has the chance to be so much more. Last year’s numbers do not justify it, but the numbers from 2006 do. Hope will likely return to a high S2 or low S1 rating, but he can be so much more if he stays healthy. Grade: A-

            Depth- I expect Dawkins to be a top-notch S2 this coming year and he is only being relied on to be a S3. I also expect Russell to continue his S3 ways and he is only needed as a S4. That’s the kind of depth you want to have, Grade: A

 

 

DT:     Starters- Anthony has many options here, but I am not sure if any of them are DT1 caliber. Sedrick Ellis may be his best option. I am not sure Brian Young is worth much of anything anymore and with Douglas now going to Baltimore, he may lose some value. Some may elevate his value due to the attention that will be drawn away from him and the fact that he will likely play DE and be listed as a DT, but I just don’t see the time for him unless Pryce gets hurt. Ellis will need to be the guy and that is not too appetizing. Grade: C

            Depth- The good news is that the depth here is rather stellar. Behind Ellis there would be Douglas, Young and Jason Jones. I like Jones so much that I think he could be the best of the bunch if he can unseat Brown in Tennessee. Grade: A-

DE:     Starters- Boy oh boy you can’t get much better then a tandem of Jared Allen and Andre Carter. Carter was good last year, but he has the chance to be great this year with Jason Taylor drawing attention away from him. Allen has nowhere to go but down, but he is clearly the top choice at DE in my mind. Two top 10 DEs can get nothing but a top-notch grade. Grade: A+

            Depth- The depth here is limited after Douglas’ reclassification as a DT. Cullen Jenkins is all that is there and he is a lower tier DE3. A fourth DE needs to be added and the grade will climb a bit once one is. For now, the depth is severely limited. Grade: D+

LB:      Starters- The starters here will be DJ Williams, Brooking, Edwards and Mayo to start the year. Williams, Brooking and Edwards were good for almost 48 points last year. If Mayo is as good as he has looked this preseason, then this group will be a 60+ ppg group and will be dangerous. There is a bit of volatility to the group since Williams and Brooking have changed positions, Edwards could still change position and Mayo is a rookie. If not for that this grade would be even higher. Grade: A-

            Depth- The depth here will be limited to start the year. Cooper has to serve his 4 game suspension and Adibi is not ready to take over a starting role in Houston yet. Once Cooper returns, this group will run five deep and all will be dangerous. The only reason the grade isn’t higher is due to the lack of depth for approximately one third of our regular season schedule. Grade: B (A- upon Cooper’s return)

CB:     Starters- Yikes. Anthony has his work cut out for him here. Currently he would have to start Pacman and Buchanon. That is not what you want. Buchanon is just a serviceable CB3 and Jones may take a bit to crack the lineup in Big D. Not good at all. Grade: D- 

            Depth- Even the depth here is limited. The Ninjas need to still add another CB and the only one currently on the roster to serve as their CB3 is Justin Miller. Even when Miller had some PT in 2006, he was still only a lower tier CB4. Yikes. Grade: D-

S:         Starters- Milloy and Griffin may start the year here. Doughty will likely challenge to crack the lineup almost immediately and may be the best safety on the roster.  Either way this group will have a hard time comparing to some of the others in the league. Doughty and Milloy may be good for upper tier S2 numbers apiece. Neither will set the world on fire, however. Grade: C+

            Depth- Griffin and Eric Smith should actually provide more then enough depth for this team. The ninjas may not have a great S1, but they have a few S2 candidates and are around four deep at the position. Grade: B+