First clues for fantasy value will emerge in training camp
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD><TD vAlign=top width=20 rowSpan=3>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink width=80 height=18>javascript:;</TD><TD class=photoCredit align=right width=165></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=1></TD></TR><TR><TD class=photoCredit colSpan=2>With Terrell Owens gone, the pressure is on Roy Williams (11) to show he can be an impact wide receiver for the Cowboys. He had 19 catches in 10 games for
Dallas last year.
<SCRIPT src="http://d.yimg.com/ds/badge.js" ____yb="1"></SCRIPT><!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- /EdSysObj -->By Matt Pitzer, USA TODAY
Training camp is a relentlessly optimistic time, when everybody gets back in football mode, we all expect our (real) teams to reach the Super Bowl and we think we have a clue about what will happen with our fantasy clubs.
It also is a time for education as we try to read too much into snippets of preseason playing time and gauge how well new players will fare in new places. Even with a bunch of practices throughout spring and summer, training camp fills an important void. And for some important situations, we can get first impressions about how 2009 will play out.
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Here are a few of those key spots I'll be watching at the start of camp (not including the most obvious — how is Tom Brady doing?):
•Is Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards ready? He had better be, with Terrell Owens alone likely to demand the same number of touchdown passes Edwards threw all of last season (11). Buffalo didn't turn Edwards loose in his first two seasons, so his ability to post big numbers is totally unknown.
He needs to show he can be an upper-level passer, otherwise the star receiving duo of Owens and Lee Evans will disappoint.
And Edwards has to get off to a quick start; in Buffalo, you can't wait until November to crank up your arm.
•How Roy Williams handles being the No. 1 wide receiver in Dallas. What Owens left behind, Williams has to scoop up. Williams has never been a big-time star, but the Cowboys want to throw, and tight end Jason Witten can't catch everything.
Keep an eye out for talk about how the offense looks minus Owens and how many balls Williams is dropping.
•When Matthew Stafford starts. The Detroit Lions are clinging to the notion Daunte Culpepper might start ahead of the No. 1 overall pick. That doesn't make much sense for the franchise player's development, but, really, you will not want Culpepper or Stafford. The decision mostly affects Calvin Johnson. Can he be your No. 1 wide receiver if Stafford is running around like a rookie? Some of Culpepper's 350-yard, three-touchdown, four-interception games might be useful.
•Who holds out. The two big-name quarterbacks, Stafford and the New York Jets' Mark Sanchez, have signed contracts and can get on with trying to win jobs. But of all the other high-profile skill-position players, at least a few probably won't get into camp on time. Especially for receivers, missing big portions of camp can derail a rookie season.
•Whether Chris "Beanie" Wells is ready to roll. If he signs on time, the Arizona Cardinals rookie running back ought to beat out Tim Hightower. Hightower was a fantasy favorite last season as a rookie thanks to his 10 TDs, but his 2.8 yards a carry was one of the worst averages in the league. Wells should be better and also can steal most of those TDs. The big question would be whether the Cardinals give Wells all of the carries or split time between backs.
•Brandon Marshall's happiness. Put on your psychologist's hat to make guesses about Marshall. He sounds as if he will show up to camp, but he and the Broncos have turned wildly unpredictable this offseason. Marshall ought to be good enough to still be your No. 2 receiver, but he's walking a razor's edge — both in being run out of town and in being suspended by the league or the team. The less he's in the news, the better.
•The fallout in Minnesota. Whether a certain Twice-Retired Quarterback Who Shall Remain Nameless makes another comeback or not, the Vikings will have a compelling training camp — either mending fences or making new friendships. Judging how that plays out will require savvy, because this is the kind of situation in which optimism can run out of control.
•LaDainian Tomlinson's health. This one can only be answered in the negative because LT barely will see the field before Week 1. But if you hear about another groin or hamstring issue in practice, watch out.
•Jake Delhomme's mental health. The Carolina Panthers threw money at him in the offseason, but the wounds of his six-turnover blowup as a home playoff favorite against the Cardinals might be hard to heal. That kind of game can break a quarterback. And if Delhomme starts throwing preseason interceptions, we will have to question the value of wide receiver Steve Smith and the scoring potential of running back DeAngelo Williams.
•The mood in Cincinnati. The offseason was a strange one for the Bengals. Quarterback Carson Palmer rehabbed his elbow. Chad Ochocinco was relatively quiet, aside from wanting to live with Palmer. Yet the gloom that has defined the Bengals for years returned.
But the HBO cameras will be around in August to remind everybody that Palmer still can be close to as good as they come.
And a receiving duo of Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles is not chopped liver. A happy bunch coming out of preseason will result in regular-season heads turning.
•Who is Earl Bennett? You might have heard that the Chicago Bears have a new quarterback. You also might have heard that their best receiver, Devin Hester, is a great kick returner. Then there is Bennett, the supposed receiving savior who was college buddies with Jay Cutler at Vanderbilt and who had zero catches last year as a rookie.
Here's how you read the Bears' wide receiver situation: Every year, they turn over the depth chart about eight times during camp because nobody is good enough to hold on to a job. If it happens again, extinguish your great hopes for Bennett.
•The Seahawks' injury report. The Seahawks would have put a M*A*S*H unit to shame last year with their extraordinary list of injuries. Key players such as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, wide receiver Deion Branch and offensive tackle Walter Jones should be good to go, and the addition of high-catch wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh gives this offense the components to be very good.
The Seahawks are flying low these days and need to be healthy to break out.
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Dallas last year.
<SCRIPT src="http://d.yimg.com/ds/badge.js" ____yb="1"></SCRIPT><!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- /EdSysObj -->By Matt Pitzer, USA TODAY
Training camp is a relentlessly optimistic time, when everybody gets back in football mode, we all expect our (real) teams to reach the Super Bowl and we think we have a clue about what will happen with our fantasy clubs.
It also is a time for education as we try to read too much into snippets of preseason playing time and gauge how well new players will fare in new places. Even with a bunch of practices throughout spring and summer, training camp fills an important void. And for some important situations, we can get first impressions about how 2009 will play out.
NEED PRACTICE?:Conduct a RapidDraft mock draft for free
RETURNING PLAYER?:Log in
Here are a few of those key spots I'll be watching at the start of camp (not including the most obvious — how is Tom Brady doing?):
•Is Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards ready? He had better be, with Terrell Owens alone likely to demand the same number of touchdown passes Edwards threw all of last season (11). Buffalo didn't turn Edwards loose in his first two seasons, so his ability to post big numbers is totally unknown.
He needs to show he can be an upper-level passer, otherwise the star receiving duo of Owens and Lee Evans will disappoint.
And Edwards has to get off to a quick start; in Buffalo, you can't wait until November to crank up your arm.
•How Roy Williams handles being the No. 1 wide receiver in Dallas. What Owens left behind, Williams has to scoop up. Williams has never been a big-time star, but the Cowboys want to throw, and tight end Jason Witten can't catch everything.
Keep an eye out for talk about how the offense looks minus Owens and how many balls Williams is dropping.
•When Matthew Stafford starts. The Detroit Lions are clinging to the notion Daunte Culpepper might start ahead of the No. 1 overall pick. That doesn't make much sense for the franchise player's development, but, really, you will not want Culpepper or Stafford. The decision mostly affects Calvin Johnson. Can he be your No. 1 wide receiver if Stafford is running around like a rookie? Some of Culpepper's 350-yard, three-touchdown, four-interception games might be useful.
•Who holds out. The two big-name quarterbacks, Stafford and the New York Jets' Mark Sanchez, have signed contracts and can get on with trying to win jobs. But of all the other high-profile skill-position players, at least a few probably won't get into camp on time. Especially for receivers, missing big portions of camp can derail a rookie season.
•Whether Chris "Beanie" Wells is ready to roll. If he signs on time, the Arizona Cardinals rookie running back ought to beat out Tim Hightower. Hightower was a fantasy favorite last season as a rookie thanks to his 10 TDs, but his 2.8 yards a carry was one of the worst averages in the league. Wells should be better and also can steal most of those TDs. The big question would be whether the Cardinals give Wells all of the carries or split time between backs.
•Brandon Marshall's happiness. Put on your psychologist's hat to make guesses about Marshall. He sounds as if he will show up to camp, but he and the Broncos have turned wildly unpredictable this offseason. Marshall ought to be good enough to still be your No. 2 receiver, but he's walking a razor's edge — both in being run out of town and in being suspended by the league or the team. The less he's in the news, the better.
•The fallout in Minnesota. Whether a certain Twice-Retired Quarterback Who Shall Remain Nameless makes another comeback or not, the Vikings will have a compelling training camp — either mending fences or making new friendships. Judging how that plays out will require savvy, because this is the kind of situation in which optimism can run out of control.
•LaDainian Tomlinson's health. This one can only be answered in the negative because LT barely will see the field before Week 1. But if you hear about another groin or hamstring issue in practice, watch out.
•Jake Delhomme's mental health. The Carolina Panthers threw money at him in the offseason, but the wounds of his six-turnover blowup as a home playoff favorite against the Cardinals might be hard to heal. That kind of game can break a quarterback. And if Delhomme starts throwing preseason interceptions, we will have to question the value of wide receiver Steve Smith and the scoring potential of running back DeAngelo Williams.
•The mood in Cincinnati. The offseason was a strange one for the Bengals. Quarterback Carson Palmer rehabbed his elbow. Chad Ochocinco was relatively quiet, aside from wanting to live with Palmer. Yet the gloom that has defined the Bengals for years returned.
But the HBO cameras will be around in August to remind everybody that Palmer still can be close to as good as they come.
And a receiving duo of Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles is not chopped liver. A happy bunch coming out of preseason will result in regular-season heads turning.
•Who is Earl Bennett? You might have heard that the Chicago Bears have a new quarterback. You also might have heard that their best receiver, Devin Hester, is a great kick returner. Then there is Bennett, the supposed receiving savior who was college buddies with Jay Cutler at Vanderbilt and who had zero catches last year as a rookie.
Here's how you read the Bears' wide receiver situation: Every year, they turn over the depth chart about eight times during camp because nobody is good enough to hold on to a job. If it happens again, extinguish your great hopes for Bennett.
•The Seahawks' injury report. The Seahawks would have put a M*A*S*H unit to shame last year with their extraordinary list of injuries. Key players such as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, wide receiver Deion Branch and offensive tackle Walter Jones should be good to go, and the addition of high-catch wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh gives this offense the components to be very good.
The Seahawks are flying low these days and need to be healthy to break out.
