NFL Pre-Season Central...Previews,Injuries,Results,Signings,Pictures,Etc,Etc.

[Greenbacks]

Overvalued Running Backs.....Fantasy News.

Devonta Freeman.....Falcons.

When the 2015 fantasy season came to a close, Devonta Freeman's performance as the RB1 overall had him in the conversation as a fringe first-round pick in early mocks for the 2016 campaign. But life comes at you fast in the NFL, and things changed over the last few months regarding Freeman's value for the upcoming season.

Last year, Freeman was the only player in the NFL to accumulate over 1,000 rushing yards and record over 500 receiving yards. He also was responsible for 14 total touchdowns-a 41.2 percent share of Atlanta's total scrimmage touchdowns, the highest rate in the NFL.

Since Freeman's ADP peaked in early April, it's been on a steady decline as the months rolled on. Folks have the name Tevin Coleman returning to memory and reports emerged from Atlanta's coaching staff that the team would like to reduce Freeman's workload this year. Seeing as Freeman shouldered a ridiculous 334 total touches a season ago, some regression is baked into his value, but he's still considered a top 10 fantasy running back in most circles.

Coleman, a second-year back, actually began last year as Atlanta's starting running back following what was a heated competition throughout training camp and preseason games. He was off to a decent start too, logging 20 carries for 80 yards in Week 1. His season was halted when he suffered a rib injury in Week 2 which led to Freeman's opportunity to be the bell cow-an opportunity he evidently made the most of.

But heading into the upcoming season, Atlanta's running backs coach Bobby Turner has said that he'd like to reduce Freeman's workload to keep him fresh, which makes sense considering his statistical slowdown down the stretch last year. If the Falcons can find ways to get Coleman into space where he's most effective, it should benefit both backs in the long run. Unfortunately fewer opportunities for Freeman means he gets knocked down the fantasy ranks a few rungs. Turner said that he wants the duo to compete, which is a natural strategy when coaches are trying to get the most out of their players-a little competition should drive each of them to be better, even if it means fewer opportunities on Freeman's end.

It's not out of the question to see a 60-40 split in terms of touches for Freeman and Coleman, respectively. If that happens, both backs will have value in fantasy. The duo combined for 423 total touches last season, 78 percent of which went to Freeman. If that same amount of touches (hypothetically) balances out to the aforementioned 60-40 range this year, that leaves approximately 253.8 total touches for Freeman (81 fewer that last year) and 169.2 for Coleman. That puts Freeman in the low-end RB1, high-end RB2 range rather than being more at the top end of the RB1 conversation.

 

[Greenbacks]

Thomas Rawls...Seahawks.....Fantasy News.

Thomas Rawls recently said that he will "definitely" be a full go by the start of training camp and that his recovery from a busted ankle is proceeding "phenomenally." Three weeks ago the "hope" was that he'd be ready to play by Week 1 so it sounds like progress is being made. Regardless of his health today, or in three weeks from now Rawls is still overvalued in fantasy football.

Rawls had a league-leading 5.6 yards per carry average (minimum 110 carries) and in his seven starts, he averaged 108 rushing yards per game. During those seven starts, Rawls recorded 132 rush attempts or 69 percent of Seattle's backfield carries (not including Russell Wilson's 42 rushes). Of his 132 carries, a mere eight of them were on third downs and he wasn't targeted as a receiver a single time on third downs.

Even if Rawls is 100 percent healthy at the start of the season it's clear that Seattle is going to employ a committee backfield and plans use a specialized back on third downs. Coach Pete Carroll was vocal about versatile rookie C.J. Prosise being that guy. More recently, it was reported that rookie Alex Collins may compete for "immediate playing time" according to the Seattle Times.

One more knock against the case for Rawls is the fact that Seattle's offensive line isn't what it used to be. In fact, ProFootballFocus has the Seahawks' o-line ranked 32nd in the NFL for the upcoming season. That means the team may lean on the passing game more so than we've seen them do in past seasons, which doesn't bode well for Rawls' outlook at his current asking price in fantasy drafts.

 

[Greenbacks]

Matt Forte...Jets.....Fantasy New.

As I mentioned above, Matt Forte parted ways with the Chicago Bears this offseason after eight solid years. Forte has been a perennially elite fantasy running back, but his production declined over the past three seasons. His seven touchdowns last year marked a career low after scoring 10 in 2013, and 12 in 2013. He also missed three games with an MCL sprain. The wear and tear on his body may finally be starting to rear its ugly head as he enters his age-30 season with the Jets. He's amassed 2,035 rush attempts and 487 receptions during his career and if his new team is wise, they will look to manage his workload in an effort to keep him fresh for a potential playoff run.

It's already been speculated that Forte will "split snaps" in New York this year with the explosive and efficient Bilal Powell. The Jets have good depth at running back with Khiry Robinson, Zac Stacy and Tommy Bohanon lower on the depth chart totem too. The New York Post predicts "plenty of rest" for Forte-something that could benefit him in the long run but would be a concern for fantasy owners hoping for RB2 type numbers for the veteran. As it stands now, Forte is being drafted too high for an aging veteran with knee concerns who will likely see his workload decline from what we're used to seeing in Chicago. So don't draft him as a top 15 back thinking you're getting RB1 value. While your leaguemates reach for Forte in the fourth-round you can feel confident securing RB1 upside from guys like C.J. Anderson and Carlos Hyde in that same range.

 

[Greenbacks]

Jeremy Langford...Bears.....Fantasy News.

Chicago parted ways with veteran iron-man and perennial elite performer Matt Forte this offseason leaving the Bears starting running back job up for grabs. Candidates for the gig include second-year back Jeremy Langford, rookie addition Jordan Howard (a candidate for early-down and short-yardage work), third-year back Ka'Deem Carey (started one game last year) and career backup Jacquizz Rodgers.

Langford likely gets the first crack at the starting role, but there is little doubt that the Bears' backfield will be a frustrating committee rotation throughout the season. Phrases like "hot hand" have already been used by coach John Fox in terms of his plan for the backfield. It makes sense seeing as all of the running backs in Chicago have different skill sets, so the coaching staff will look to play into each of their strengths depending on situational factors.

Despite his struggles as a rookie, Langford still received double-digit rush attempts for eight straight games in Weeks 8-16 last year whilst filling in for an injured Forte. Langford played a big role on offense once the veteran returned too. But on FantasyFootballCalculator.com, Langford is being drafted at the end of Round 4 in 12-team leagues. Are you willing to invest a valuable middle-round pick in a backfield situation that has been referred to as "hell for fantasy owners?" Didn't think so.

 

[Greenbacks]

Latavius Murray...Raiders.....Fantasy News.

Given his huge workload last year (266 carries and 41 receptions), you'd think Murray would have provided greater dividends for his fantasy owners. To his credit, he was one of just seven backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark as the Raiders featured back last year and finished as the RB10 in standard leagues. But his production was dappled and he became somewhat of a matchup-based option in fantasy averaging 10.23 fantasy points per game (for context, Freeman averaged over 16 FPPG in standard scoring). He collected just two 100-yard rushing games during the season and had just six double-digit fantasy outings, all of which were games that he scored touchdowns in.

Murray's three best games fantasy-wise were against defenses that struggled against running backs: One against Cleveland and two against San Diego (one of which was in Week 17). He also recorded eight games with two or fewer receptions and totaled just 232 receiving yards for the season which ranked him outside the top 30 in receiving yards among running backs.

The Raiders selected DeAndre Washington in the draft in April to create some competition behind Murray. Washington could emerge as a third-down guy to siphon some of those passing-down looks from his veteran teammate this year. Washington has already been compared to Doug Martin and possesses great speed, agility and soft hands out of the backfield. His smaller build is a concern but he could definitely be used as a change-of-pace guy if Oakland is looking to lighten Murray's workload.

My case against Murray is less about his floor, which was about five points last season, and more about his upside. Fantasy owners need more than six touchdowns out of a guy who handles the ball 300-plus times in a season. And now that there is an explosive candidate to take away third-down looks in Washington, we could see Murray's workload and output diminish in 2016.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Training camp report dates: Rookies and veterans, July 29.

Training camp location: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Washington.

Offseason in a nutshell: From a personnel standpoint, Chris Clemons is back, Marshawn Lynch is gone, Bradley Sowell and J'Marcus Webb are here to compete for starting tackle jobs, Russell Okung is in Denver playing under a contract akin to a chocolate Easter rabbit (hollow in the middle) and Brandon Browner returned to potentially play some safety if he remains on the roster. So why is there so much anticipation in Seattle? The team has some young pieces that are finally maturing, and the results could be explosive. There are not many teams that already have an offense as good as Seattle's who can make such a drastic improvement in 2016.

Player to watch: Wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Matt Harmon has a nice breakdown of Lockett's route-running prowess here, and that is just the locomotive tip of the Lockett hype train that has carried us throughout a long offseason. Russell Wilson has had very good, overlooked talent in his arsenal for years now and, playing off Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, was able to get Lockett involved during his rookie season. The trio likely will be the bedrock of a 2016 campaign that could grace us with the most prolific scoring offense in football if Lockett develops into the type of receiver he can be.

THREE BURNING QUESTIONS:

1. Will Mike Morgan win the strong-side linebacker job?
As the wonderful people at Field Gulls noted, Seattle's lack of frantic hustle to replace their old SAM (departed free agent Bruce Irvin) could lead us to believe that the Seahawks are re-thinking how, exactly, to utilize the position. Though Morgan seems to be in the driver's seat right now, Pete Carroll was open to the many other options on his roster.
"The SAM linebacker spot is going to be a really good one to watch," Carroll said, via the team's official site. "That's going to be wide open to see what happens. Mike Mo brings all the experience, and so he would start if we had to start a game today; he's just ahead of the other guys. But both Cassius [Marsh] and Pink [Eric Pinkins] have done a great job of battling, and those guys are getting a great shot."
Many don't realize how significant the change in Seattle was between Gus Bradley's 4-3 and Dan Quinn's 4-3, with the SAM being one of the few focal points (again, please check out the Field Gulls piece from above for a more detailed look). Now Kris Richard, in his second season as defensive coordinator, has the chance to put his own stamp on the front seven, just as the former defensive backs coach has anchored the Legion of Boom.

2. Can rookie QB Trevone Boykin hold on to the backup job?
Boykin's collegiate legal issues were cleared up recently, seemingly giving him the green light to be all about football from this point forward. At the moment, he is the only person battling for the backup job outside of Jake Heaps and has gotten rave reviews from Seahawks brass so far.
"In terms of getting in the book, being a pro and studying, those are things he's going to need to prove to all of us over the next several weeks here as we evaluate him as a pro in the building," general manager John Schneider said of the undrafted rookie in an interview on "Pro Football Talk Live." "This guy has a lot of just pure talent. If he wouldn't have had his incident, I think we all agree he would have been taken much higher."

3. Will adding J'Marcus Webb end up being Seattle's best move of the offseason?
J'Marcus Webb had an objectively meh season last year in Oakland, but he played no worse than some of the NFL's better offensive linemen (D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Andre Smith, Kyle Long or Matt Kalil). Given his age (27), previous experience as a 16-game starter and price tag (he signed for two years and $6 million), he could come to define the savvy moves Seattle's management will need to keep the core of this team together.
Webb is a player who has had poor seasons but thrives under good coaching. He is now with one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL in Tom Cable.
"It's about getting someone to believe in him, and that's my job, and in getting him to believe in himself," Cable told Sirius XM recently. "And if those two things can marry up right, I think this kid can really, really do something cool for us."

Way-too-early season prediction: This is arguably a better team than the one that was a bad first half away from making it to the NFC Championship Game (and potentially the Super Bowl) last season. There is no reason to believe the Seahawks won't be deep in the title conversation in 2016. Matchups between the Seahawks and Cardinals will be absolute slugfests this year, and both have the talent to win 13 or 14 games.

 

[Greenbacks]

AFC East Predictions.

Buffalo Bills: Rex Ryan's team ends Seattle's run as the NFL's stingiest scoring defense.
Rex Ryan says the Bills won the offseason. I was under the impression that everyone gets a participation trophy (usually wood with a gold-colored foil plate that says "participant") for the offseason. I am OK with saying Buffalo won the draft, however. The Bills picked up two pass rushers and an inside linebacker in Reggie Ragland who is capable of starting Week 1. Throw in an under-the-radar corner in sixth-round pick Kevon Seymour -- as well as the departure of the disgruntled Mario Williams -- and voila: You have a retooled defense. The Seahawks have led the league in points allowed four consecutive years, a record in the modern era. It has to end some time. That Tom Brady will be suspended for the Week 4 trip to New England certainly helps the cause.

Miami Dolphins: The Fins lead the NFL with 50 sacks.
Mario Williams might be walking into what could be the best pass rush in the league. Part of that is because Miami will let him tee off on QBs as a 4-3 DE, which is what Williams has always been best at doing. While many boo-hooed Olivier Vernon's departure, the inconvenient truth is that Vernon only averaged 7.25 sacks per year. Then you have Cameron Wake, who missed much time last season. While he might be considered past his prime at 34, bear in mind he racked up seven sacks in seven games. You think Ndamukong Suh might've heard whispers about his own declining play? I see 30-35 sacks coming from Williams, Wake and a man named Suh.

New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett combine for 20 scores.
Thankfully, the Deflategate saga is now over. Whether you agree with Tom Brady's or the league's actions, there is no doubt New England's passing game will be weaker during Brady's four-game suspension. You will also hear about the Patriots using the run game more. The beauty of that strategy is that both Gronkowski and Bennett are solid in-line blockers, which means they will be on the field, together, often ... Which also means that, even with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback through Week 4, these two tight ends could still combine for a staggering 20 touchdowns in 2016.

New York Jets: Matt Forte rolls up 1,800 yards from scrimmage.
Making a bold prediction about the Jets' defense sounded fun -- maybe something like Leonard Williams making first-team All-Pro in Year 2. Prognosticating that New York would make the postseason with Geno Smith at quarterback darted through my mind, but that felt like a swing and a miss. Then I realized that the Ryan Fitzpatrick and Muhammad Wilkerson sagas have pushed a significant offseason signing under the carpet. Forte has changed his workout routine -- incorporating Pilates -- in an effort to stay productive at 30. With Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker outside, and with Forte's ability to catch the football, the lofty yards-from-scrimmage total of 1,800 -- which he topped in both 2013 and 2014 -- is within reach.

 

[Greenbacks]

We're 13 days away from the first preseason game.

 

[indiana]

GB/2..........two weeks..........looking forward to the start..........indy

 

[Greenbacks]

GB/2..........two weeks..........looking forward to the start..........indy

It will be here before you know it indy.....Enjoy the summer indy!

 

[Greenbacks]

AFC North Predictions.

Baltimore Ravens: Steve Smith Sr. joins Jerry Rice in the "1,000 yards after Year 15" club.
Yep, that's right -- only Rice has posted a 1,000 yards after Year 15 of his career. And he did it twice. Smith is looking to duplicate the feat coming off a torn Achilles, having reversed field -- like he was running a Steve Smith comeback route -- on his pre-injury decision to retire. The interesting parallel here is to Lawrence Taylor, a Hall of Famer who similarly chose not to end his tremendous career in the trainer's room after suffering a torn Achilles. Give Smith 1,100 yards in 2016.

Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy misses the playoffs for the first time in six years.
The only thing more common than wondering whether the Bengals will win their first playoff game in nearly three decades is assuming that they will be in the postseason. Nearly as automatic: guessing whether Andy Dalton will take the next step as a quarterback by virtue of postseason success. Well, Dalton did make great strides last year before getting hurt -- meaning we're still waiting to see if he can put it all together on the postseason stage. But based on the Bengals' schedule, the Browns and Ravens being improved and the Steelers being healthier, Cincinnati won't be playing meaningful football in mid-January.

Cleveland Browns: Hue Jackson doubles the 2015 win total in Year 1.
Granted, it might not be that hard for the Browns to do, given that Cleveland only won three games last season. Yet, most of my colleagues at NFL Network don't see the Browns sniffing even six wins. I think we could all be surprised by a 7-9 campaign. Hue Jackson was a wonderful hire, and he should do much not only for Robert Griffin III but the running game, as well. Look for running back Duke Johnson to be more of a contributor in both the ground and air attack. And what's not to love about Coachocinco?

Pittsburgh Steelers: Antonio Brown wins the NFL MVP award.
Would you believe that no wide receiver in The Associated Press' history of handing out NFL MVP awards -- which began in 1957, when The AP gave rookie Jim Brown the award -- has ever received the honor? Antonio Brown has led the league in receptions each of the last two seasons and posted over 1,800 yards last year with Michael Vick and Landry Jones playing significant time at quarterback, and he still couldn't get a whiff in the MVP voting. This year, he goes for 2,000 yards and takes home the hardware.

 

[Greenbacks]

OT Anthony Davis has applied for reinstatement after brief retirement.

 

[Greenbacks]

Jordy Nelson begins camp on PUP list.

 

[Greenbacks]

WR Josh Gordon is being reinstated, source said. He’s suspended for the first 4 games.

 

[Greenbacks]

Training camp report dates: Rookies and veterans July 30.

Training camp location: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, Calif.

Offseason in a nutshell: Chip Kelly! The hope is that Kelly, who is a good coach, stops being considered some type of mad scientist in San Francisco -- a moniker that overshadows the purpose of what he's actually trying to accomplish. Good offenses win with simple strategies that can be quickly absorbed and, with time, customized to suit the strengths of the team's best players. This is not breaking news, just ask Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Just ask Peyton Manning, Bruce Arians and Tom Moore. Just ask Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr and Vicente del Bosque. Kelly is the kind of coach the talent-starved 49ers need right now and, more than any other coach available this offseason, he can maximize a roster that few coaches wanted to touch with a focus on running the football, spacing out defenses and creating open wide receivers via play action.

Player to watch: Defensive end DeForest Buckner. The 49ers have a chance to start a formidable pair of bookends in their 3-4 defense this season if Buckner can be even half as disruptive as advertised. However, we should really say the person to watch in camp is defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil. O'Neil is an interesting case -- finally out from under the Mike Pettine umbrella, this is really the first time he has the chance to mold the philosophies of Rex Ryan and Pettine. O'Neil was a surprising choice given the behind-the-scenes defensive struggle in Cleveland, which was thankfully overshadowed by the very public struggle between the club's front office and coaching staff. O'Neil's saving grace is that he has two players both projected as young versions of Calais Campbell to work with.

THREE BURNING QUESTIONS:

1. Will Colin Kaepernick quietly fade or make a move?
Occam's razor suggests that we should have been wary of a Kaepernick-Kelly resurgence the moment we first typed the sentence Colin seems to be the perfect fit in Kelly's system. We want to believe this because we still associate Kelly's offense with a mobile quarterback. We also want to see Kaepernick's career revived in the worst way after being treated to one hell of a run during the Jim Harbaugh era. But the reality is that Kelly has three quarterbacks -- Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert and Jeff Driskel -- with a relatively similar skillset at his disposal and will end up riding the hottest hand.

2. Can Eric Rogers continue to impress?
Kelly sure as heck hopes so. Rogers has prototypical size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and stood out during minicamp, as fast, tall wide receivers tend to do. Our interest level is high, though, because Kelly contacted him almost immediately after getting the job. The argument for Rogers, a former California Lutheran University standout, is that he got the proper seasoning over two years in the Canadian Football League and is perhaps ready to contribute at the NFL level. At the moment, Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton seem to be battling it out for the No. 2 spot opposite Torrey Smith.

3. Will Ahmad Brooks make the team?
Niners fans have been discussing the possibility of ditching Brooks' balky contract ever since he signed it, and this might finally be the time to do it. Kelly is going to need a fresh, young rotation on defense and the team already has players like Eli Harold and Tank Carradine, who reportedly is meshing well with his new(ish) responsibilities as a stand-up edge rusher, in the queue.

Way-too-early season prediction: Minor Chip Kelly obsession aside, this is a team lucky to win seven games in 2016, but one that will hopefully show enough flashes to merit Kelly staying another season. Two bridge coaches would sink this franchise into pre-Gus Bradley Jaguars territory.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Quarterback fantasy projections for all 32 teams.

"I got all this knowledge, I got it up here now, I wanna give it to you. I wanna take care of ya, I wanna make sure that all this (beep) that happened to me doesn't happen to you. Ya can't buy what I'm gonna give ya."

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s like I did, you'll know that quote is in the original "Rocky" movie, from the lips of good ole' Mick when he's pitching his skills as a boxing manager to the future champion. Well, you can consider me your fantasy manager. I've got all this knowledge, and I want to give it to you to help you become a fantasy champion. That knowledge starts with the quarterbacks.

If you're a football fan, you know that the NFL's recent pass stats are swollen like Heath Evans' chest. The top five leaders in single-season passing yards have all come in the last five years. Furthermore, the NFL's highest single-season totals in pass attempts are littered with quarterbacks from the last six campaigns. In fact, Drew Bledsoe (1994) and Warren Moon (1991) are the lone field generals in the top 10 who didn't produce their totals since 2010.

The question is ... which players are the best ones to target based on their projected totals, their offenses and the past tendencies and philosophies of their coaches and coordinators? Well, I have all the knowledge you'll need on those topics to enter your draft with confidence.

 

[Greenbacks]

Arizona Cardinals

Carson Palmer:
Pass yds: 4,454
Pass TDs: 32
INTs: 14
Rush yds: 21
Rush TDs: 0
Fumbles lost: 2
Fantasy points: 276.3

The Cardinals threw the football 562 times last season (19th), but still finished second in passing yards (4,970) and tied for third in touchdown passes (35). ... Carson Palmer finished fifth in fantasy points among quarterbacks and averaged 19.3 points per game. His 35 touchdown passes are a career high. ... Palmer was on pace to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback in 2014 before an injured knee cost him the final 10 games. ... Bruce Arians was either a head coach or offensive coordinator in six consecutive seasons before taking over in Arizona. In that time, his system produced three top-eight fantasy quarterback finishes (Andrew Luck - 2012, Ben Roethlisberger - 2007, 2009).