Monday, August 17, 2009

Old Faces, New Places Part II

10. Fred Taylor - Jacksonville to New England: How much does Fragile Fred have left in the tank? Typically once RBs reach 30+ years old, their production tends to decline and Taylor has a long injury history as well. The New England backfield is crowded (Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney) and head coach Bill Belichick is on record stating he will stick with the hot hand. Will Taylor be that hot hand? Sure, it's possible, but how long would it last? There are better options at RB to have on your squad this year.

9. Laveranues Coles - NY Jets to Cincinnati: Coles signed with Cincinnati during the off season and will be asked to fill the shoes of the recently departed T.J. Houshmandzadeh as the possession receiver. Carson Palmer is recovering from elbow issues last season, but if he is healthy, the Cincinnati offense could bounce back. Depending on which Chad Ochocinco shows up this season (90 receptions, 1,400 yards avg in 2006-07 or 53 receptions, 540 yard in 2008), if opposing defenses have to key on him, Coles could benefit from single coverage and the quick underneath routes. If things go right in Cincinnati, I see Coles as a solid #3 WR or flex position starter.

8. Sage Rosenfels - Houston to Minnesota: When Matt Schaub missed 6 games last year for Houston, Rosenfels stepped in and averaged 250 yards and 1 TD per game. He is currently in a battle with Tavaris Jackson for the starting spot in Minnesota, but I think he will ultimately win the job. Minnesota is still a running team first (4th most rushing attempts last year), but there are some play makers at WR and TE, plus a favorable schedule this year. Rumors have surfaced once again that Brett Favre may in fact be signing with the Minnesota Vikings once training camp has ended. IF that happens, slide Favre into this spot instead of Rosenfels with a little more upside.


7. (tie) Kyle Orton - Chicago to Denver: Orton was said to be one of the keys to the biggest trade this off season between Denver and Chicago. After this season, the picture should be more clear on whether a QB makes his WRs or if the WRs make the QB. Orton's WR core is definitely upgraded in Denver with Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, and Jabar Gaffney. Orton finished with decent numbers last season (2,972 yards, 18 passing TDs, 3 rushing TDs) and will have plenty of opportunities in a pass friendly offense in Denver. Orton could be a solid spot starter or bye week fill.


7. (tie) Matt Cassel - New England to Kansas City: Will Cassel be the latest player from New England to come out of nowhere and become a star in the NFL? When Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury in 2001, a relatively unknown Tom Brady stepped onto the stage and became a future All-Pro. When Brady was lost for the season during the home opener last year, Cassel attempted his best impersonation of Brady's act 7 years earlier. Cassel won't have the same caliber of weapons in Kansas City this season and losing Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta hurt some of his potential. Lucky for Cassel, he will be playing in the Wild Wild AFC West and will have plenty of opportunities to throw, throw, and throw some more. Cassel could be a low end #1 QB this year, but may be better suited as a solid #2 QB.

6. Kellen Winslow - Cleveland to Tampa Bay: Winslow has no shortage of talent to be a consistent top 5 TE in the NFL, but injuries have derailed him at many turns. He badly wanted out of Cleveland and received his wish by landing in Tampa Bay. There are many new parts in Tampa Bay this year including a new offensive coordinator, QB, and RB in addition to Winslow. Jeff Jagodzinski is on the record stating that Winslow will be used extensively, and there is no reason to doubt that statement. Winslow is a solid starting #1 TE this year, but be sure to back him up with a good #2 TE on your team, just in case the injury bug bites him again.

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