Date Archives July 2013

2013 RSP Reports Sample

July 16, 2013 0 Comments read RSP Publication

If you think of me when you see these three players - among others - you don't need me to say any more. If you don't, perhaps its time to starting downloading the RSP publication every April 1. — If you think of me when you see these three players – among others – you don’t need me to say any more. If you don’t, perhaps its time to starting downloading the RSP publication. Start today.

Depending on how you found the RSP blog, you either know me as a football talent evaluator or a fantasy football writer. Studying NFL prospects has helped me understand why a fantasy draft approach like the Upside Down Strategy has value – even in a year where there appears to be a lot of depth at receiver and quarterback. And I think it’s refining my analysis of these positions.

Last year, I learned a little more about the Fantasy Pros Accuracy rankings methodology and resolved to work a little harder on delivering better rankings as opposed to focusing mostly on over-arching strategies. I learned this weekend that Fantasy Pros accuracy analysis listed my quarterback rankings No.1 and my wide receiver rankings No.8 out of 109 fantasy writers in 2012. A lot of the credit goes to the work I do here.

As the NFL acquires new blood, I’m becoming more familiar with them because of the analysis I perform for the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Today, I’m providing a sample section from the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio pre-draft publication. This is just a small taste of the 260-page guide that also has a more than 1000 pages – yes, that number is correct – of individual scouting reports and play-by-play notes for those of you who wish to wade in the detail. Then there’s the post-draft analysis that is included with the package that my readers say is worth the $19.95 you pay for both.

If you are a fantasy owner – dynasty or re-draft – and you haven’t downloaded the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio, you’re cheating yourself. Plus, 10 percent of each sale goes to Darkness to Light, an organization that provides community training to address and prevent sexual abuse.

Overview and Fantasy Impact of the WR Position

This year, 5’8” 174-pound Tavon Austin is considered by many a first-round lock. There hasn’t been a receiver this short picked in the first round of an NFL Draft in at least 25 years. It’s a sign that the NFL is broadening its horizons when it comes to offense.

The success of Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb has helped – both were players without a traditional position and no bigger than 5’11”, 195 pounds. Although Marvin Harrison – a 6’0”, 175-pound receiver – was a first-round pick in 1996, the fact that teams are now spending high picks on shorter and lighter receivers with greater frequency is a change. The Lions and and Chiefs used second-round picks (Top 45 overall) on lightweights Titus Young (174 lbs.) and Dexter McCluster (165 lbs.), which is validation that what is an acceptable physical prototype is changing.

Young and McCluster have not worked out like Harvin and Cobb, but physical ability hasn’t been the root cause. Teams are taking notice and now we’re looking at the possibility of Austin getting selected within the first 25 picks. A lot has changed in a short period of time.

However, one thing hasn’t changed about the position. Receiver remains a difficult position to play in the NFL. Even with the cross-pollination of pro-style and spread offenses in the NFL and college football, changes in rules that favor the passing game, and the use of routes like the back-shoulder fade, there’s a canyon-sized gap in what constitutes good play in the college and pro games due to scheme complexity, speed of the game, a higher bar for precision, and the toll of a longer season.

Regardless of height, weight, or style of skill set, it’s a good idea not to count on top-tier production from rookie wide receivers yet remain open to the possibility of three of four players who might reach this summit based on surrounding talent.

A good example is the 2012 class. While not as dynamic out the gate as the crew from 2011 – a class that featured top fantasy scorers A.J. Green (14^th), Julio Jones (17^th), and Torrey Smith (23^rd) – there were still six receivers with at least 500 yards. This total matched the 2011 group.

The marquee producers weren’t as productive, but the 2012 class showed plenty of depth and promise. Justin Blackmon (29^th), T.Y. Hilton (31^st), and Josh Gordon (40^th) were viable No.3 fantasy wide receivers in many leagues and Kendall Wright (45^th) and Chris Givens (58^th) provided weeks of valuable flex production.

It’s still rare to see rookie receivers post starting-caliber fantasy production, but the “noted exceptions” continues to grow to the point that it’s becoming more difficult to use that label in the scope of recent history. We’re gradually entering a new era and it’s becoming commonplace to count on 3-4 rookie receivers to get the job done.

Top 12 Rookie Yardage Seasons for a Wide Receiver

Last Name	First Name	Yr.	Team	G	Rec	Rec Yd	Rec Td
Groman	Bill	1960	TEN	14	72	1473	12
Boldin	Anquan	2003	ARI	16	101	1377	8
Moss	Randy	1998	MIN	16	69	1313	17
Howton	Billy	1952	GB	12	53	1231	13
Clayton	Michael	2004	TB	16	80	1193	7
Glenn	Terry	1996	NE	15	90	1132	6
Brooks	Billy	1986	IND	16	65	1131	8
Hill	Harlon	1954	CHI	12	45	1124	12
Givins	Ernest	1986	TEN	15	61	1062	3
Green	A.J.	2011	CIN	15	65	1057	7
Galloway	Joey	1995	SEA	16	67	1039	7
Colston	Marques	2006	NO	14	70	1038	8

Over 50 percent of the names on this list were drafted after 1995 and that also includes 16 of the top 30 rookie performances. One third of these performances have come since I began writing the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. We’re not going to see five to seven rookies become fantasy starters every year unless there’s a slew of injuries to veterans across the league, but expecting two players to play like starters and two more to provide good support for NFL and fantasy rosters is reasonable.

Dynasty and Redraft League Advice

Dynasty leaguers need to be patient when selecting a receiver in the opening rounds of a draft – even if that player has “instant impact” written all over him. It often takes a receiver two to four years to develop into an NFL starter.

In most situations, redraft owners would be best advised to use caution when drafting a rookie receiver. My general advice is to wait until late—if you pick one at all. Some of the better options (Torrey Smith, T.Y. Hilton, and Josh Gordon) will be available on the waiver wire. Learning enough about their potential in a publication like this one should put you in position to capitalize on an opportunity to add value to your roster during the season.

I say this annually, but feel the need to continue restating it: It is no surprise that the Rookie Scouting Portfolio’s evaluation method yields lower scores for wide receivers across the board than running back due to what is typically an extended adjustment period.

Other than quarterback, receivers require more significant coaching than any other position: blocking, route running, releases against press coverage, and route adjustments based on the play call are all common issues rookies face. The majority of college offenses only need to exploit a receiver’s athletic talents to create a successful passing game.

Timing routes such as skinny posts, deep posts, and deep ins aren’t as common in college ball as are hitches, streaks, fades, and slants—routes that allow a receiver to out-run, out-jump, or out-muscle his opponent and rely less on timing and technique. Athleticism is still important, but timing, technique, and strategy separate former college stars from quality pros.

There are a number of receivers with grades in the 60s on my 100-point scale who can develop into quality contributors at the next level.

This Class: The 10,000-Ft. View

Last year I said there were 30 receivers with talent to make a roster; 12-15 with starter potential; and 4-6 who could become high-end producers.

This year I think there are 45 receiver with talent to make a roster; 20 with starter potential in the next 3-4 years; and as crazy as this sounds, 15 players with 1000-yard potential. This class as depth, breadth, and special talent.

As with every class, there will be players who don’t play to expectation and players who will wildly exceed them. I don’t expect all of my top 15 players to have consistent 1000-yard seasons; my job is to give you an idea of who can be good and why. At this early vantage point, 2013 is a great class for drafting receivers.

How to Best Use My Rankings for Fantasy Drafts

Fortunately for you, there two sets of rankings at your disposal when you purchase the RSP: the April pre-NFL draft rankings that weigh heavily towards talent and the May post-draft update that factors both talent and team.

The pre-NFL draft rankings in this publication are player based on how I perceive his technique, talent, athleticism, and potential for growth. I do this with a variety of analysis methods – none of them have to do with where I think a player might be drafted.

I know that some plays I rank high than the norm aren’t realistic short-term values:

Cincinnati’s Kenbrell Thompkins might be a late-round pick at best.
Marquess Wilson cost himself a second or third-round selection when he singled out his coach and quit the Washington State football team.
Marlon Brown tore his ACL this year.

Evaluating talent and evaluating where in the draft – if at all – to invest in that talent are two different processes. This is a long-term value to you, because you’ll get my initial take on the player without factoring business considerations that can cloud the issue and then an adjusted prognosis.

If your rookie draft take place before the NFL Draft, I often note if I believe I have a player high or normal than the consensus so you can make informed decisions with where to adjust my rankings into a draft board that suits your needs.

If have a player ranked sixth at his position but he’s considered a fifth-round value, I recommend you consider that player undervalued for fantasy purposes. You can wait to acquire him later. In some leagues it might be prudent not to draft the player at all because he’ll be available as a free agent and you can track his progress without using a roster spot.

In some situations you’ll have to decide whether or not you agree with my assessment of the player’s talent or value him according to his draft position and opportunity with his new team.

Explanation of the “Ceiling Score”

The Ceiling Score is what I believe the player’s potential checklist score would be if he improved upon the skills and techniques from the RSP scoring checklist that I think he is capable of addressing. The closer the player’s actual checklist score is to his ceiling, the closer he is to maximizing his abilities.

A player with a low checklist score but a high ceiling score is likely a project or a boom-bust prospect. These players have entered the highest level of football with a lot to learn. Some players view this transition to the NFL as an opportunity to have fewer distractions from their development plan. Others find even more opportunities for distraction now that they are free from the constraints of an hourly schedule that universities impose on them.

Rookie Productivity – A Historical Perspective

There’s not much of a gap in production between receivers drafted in the first two rounds over the past seven years. I believe on some level this indicates that NFL teams often grade players they drafted in the second round as first-round talents. I also think they regard second-round picks as players they expect to start early.

In hindsight, what drives production is targets. If a receiver is generating a high level of targets, his quarterback trusts him and he’s reliable to generate receptions, yardage, and touchdowns. Common sense. If a rookie receiver earns a starting job in a passing offense with an NFL starting quarterback with just average ability, there’s little reason to avoid selecting him in fantasy drafts if we can safely assume he’s going to see a steady share of targets.

Skill Breakdowns

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio checklists are designed to assess whether a player possesses a baseline physical skill or technique as defined in the glossary of the publication. What it does not do is differentiate how much or little of that technique each player has. The skill breakdown reports are an avenue to explore these comparisons. This is a more subjective process that distills the notes taken in the profiles section of the game analysis research tool.

Improvement Spectrum or “Ease of Fix” for Wide Receiver Skill Sets

This year, I am including my thoughts on a player’s potential to improve his skills within each category. It’s important to remember that athletes often enter their prime in their mid-to-late twenties, which is a attributable to a combination of increased physical, technical, and conceptual skill.

“Ease of Fix”

The style of type that I used for each name in these categories indicates a prospect’s potential to improve within these skill sets:

Normal Type: Little to no change projected as this player transitions to the NFL.
Easy Fix: These skills can improve with ease to moderate ease if the player makes the effort.
Hard Fix: These skills typically take a great effort to address, if possible to address at all.
Bad Habits: These players have bad habits they need to unlearn – a difficult transition, at best.

· Underrated or Underrated: Underrated aspect of player’s game or underrated with more opportunity to improve.

The subheadings under each skill table listed below should be reasonably self-explanatory, but here’s a quick breakdown.

Star Caliber: A level of skill that rivals the best in the game at his position.
Starter Caliber: A level of skill commensurate with a full-time starter at his position.
Committee Caliber: A baseline level of skill for a player to contribute productively in an offense.
Reserve Caliber: These players lack some amount of technique or athleticism to consistently be productive, but the skill is good enough to contribute to a team.
Free Agent: These players lack the minimum skill in a given area to make a team if evaluated strictly by this single component.
Deficient: The player’s skill set is so lacking that they aren’t likely to receive interest from a team until it improves to a at least a free agent level.

Separation

The term encompasses the skills and techniques involved with gaining distance from an opponent assigned to coverage. Two contributing factors are speed and acceleration. Some receivers have the speed to get behind a defense even when the defenders are giving a cushion of 8-10 yards. Others are long-striders that build up speed and then there are receivers that aren’t particularly fast over a longer distance, but their initial quickness is so good that it catches faster defenders off guard and out of position. However, there are rarely players fast enough to get consistent separation by running in a straight line. The most important way to get consistent separation in the NFL is to win against press coverage. This involves a variety of techniques a receiver uses with his hands and feet that he mixes and matches to get into his route.

NOTE: THIS REPORT BELOW IS ONLY CATEGORIZING PLAYERS BY ONE SPECIFIC SKILL SET AND NOT THEIR OVERALL GAME.

For even more analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio available now. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2013 RSP at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

Mirror Images: Reggie Wayne – Champ Bailey

July 16, 2013 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Champ Bailey and Reggie Wayne weren't mirror images 12 years ago, but Fahey explains how age was the defining - and refining - factor. Photo by Jeffery Beall. — Champ Bailey’s legs might be slower, but his experience helps him operate at warp speed. Photo by Jeffery Beall.

Champ Bailey and Reggie Wayne weren’t mirror images 12 years ago, but Fahey explains how age was the defining – and refining – factor. With a combined quarter century of NFL excellence, why not?

By Cian Fahey, Pre Snap Reads

Editor’s Note: A game I’ve been playing in my head in recent months is to take an offensive player and find his mirror image on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. For example, Joey Galloway and Darrell Green were stylistically mirror images of each other. Both had amazing speed that sometimes overshadowed their underrated displays of craft at their respective positions over the course of lengthy and productive careers. Now I’m putting it on the blog and having some of my friends play.

Recently, on twitter(does this count as breaking the fourth wall?) I asked a simple question:

“If I reverted Peyton Manning and Tom Brady back to being 23 years of age with full health, in what order would you draft Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Manning and Brady?”

The overwhelming majority of responses had either Manning or Brady at the top of the list. It may seem like a stupid question, but why wouldn’t anyone take the rookie stars from last season? Maybe my subsection of the twitter universe is the rare cautious kind who are scared of brash statements or questioning the unknown. That’s unlikely considering the unique quirks of the oddball bringing them together.

Presuming that my poll has an accurate reflection on the majority’s thinking, the answer is simple. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have proven themselves for over a decade in the league. Year in and year out help their teams win football games. It may seem ridiculous, but that aspect is completely overlooked in today’s NFL. Longevity is the most underused word in NFL analysis and the most undervalued consideration for any kind of player ratings or rankings.

When is the last time you heard someone refer to longevity as a positive for a player? If it was recently, how often do you hear it? Unless you’re encountering a rare soul like Alen Dumonijic who is always considering the whole package, the likelihood is whoever you talk to will be caught up in the moment. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because the moment right now is pretty amazing.

You’ve got quarterbacks rewriting the book on rookie expectations in the NFL. J.J. Watt, Von Miller and Richard Sherman are altering the perception of defensive players in different ways. There’s no need to question those performances; sit back and enjoy the rare opportunities we have to watch them. We don’t need to question those performances to appreciate the quality of those who have been doing it for much longer periods however. Players who are still doing it despite being some distance past their primes.

Manning an Brady are probably the poster boys for longevity in the NFL. While it’s a great achievement that both have played the game for so long, the positions they play have somewhat allowed them to last as long as they have. It’s also boring and talked to death. Instead, let’s try to appreciate two players playing positions that generally belong to the youth of the league.

Reggie Wayne and Champ Bailey are a combined 69 years on this planet, with a combined 26 seasons of professional football under their belts. At 34 and 35 years of age, they’re supposed to already be filling out the edges of the depth chart and providing guidance to the youth taking on the starting roles. Considering that today’s league is littered with spread offenses and athletic receivers that can either run past you or jink around you, you’re not supposed to be able to succeed without significant speed.

Of course, every casual fan of the game thinks that Champ Bailey isn’t able to succeed without his speed because of that playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. That’s not exactly true. Bailey had an outstanding season last year. He doesn’t have the same athleticism that he once had, but he still has enough to flourish in the right situations. Press coverage against one of the fastest receivers in the league with no safety help is not the right situation.

He may not be a shutdown cornerback anymore, but he isn’t that far off. He can still move all over the field, has the speed to run with most receivers, the quickness to get ahead of almost any and the intelligence to still get the most out of his ball-skills.

With veteran receivers, it's the first 10 yards that yield the final five. Photo by Dan04. — With veteran receivers, it’s the first 10 yards that yield the final five. Photo by Dan04.

Wayne on the other hand has embraced his role as a possession receiver during the Andrew Luck-era in Indianapolis. He was never solely a burner, but Wayne was much more of an all-around receiver during his prime, whereas last season he played the Hines Ward role in Bruce Arians’ offense. Within that role, Wayne was able to take advantage of defensive backs with his refined route running and accurate understanding of coverages to consistently come free. Of course, even though his speed had faded, his hands were only getting softer as the seasons went on.

Having those aspects of his game still in tact allowed him to succeed still, but much like Bailey, where he fit was also vital. With T.Y. Hilton, LaVon Brazill and Donnie Avery last year, Wayne was surrounded by more than enough speed to pull the top off the defense, while Hilton and Brazill are joined by Darrius Heyward-Bey in those roles for this upcoming season.

Longevity isn’t a reflection of talent. It’s a reflection of ability. The ability to evolve, adapt, and excel, despite facing the different obstacles that emerge throughout the span of a football career. So even while Wayne and Bailey’s physical traits continue to diminish, it’s their football abilities that have allowed them to extend their longevity to Favreian heights.

At some point, both players will be retired. When that happens, you can be pretty certain that both will be in the Hall of Fame. That’s not because they had a record-breaking season or two, or because they starred as rookies. It’s because for over a decade, they were superstars.

Jadeveon Clowney RSP Contest Winners

July 15, 2013 0 Comments read RSP Publication

[youtube=http://youtu.be/gC44nP7ClxM]

A couple of weeks ago I asked you to name this hit and after looking through a few hundred entries (thanks – no, seriously) I narrowed them down to 20. Some that made the list of 20, but didn’t make the final cut were timely (Sharknado) or a devilish play on words (Smears of a Clown). But the best five that I’m awarding a prize of a free RSP were at another level.

I’m not sure I’ll all five for my Futures column on Clowney, but these all earned my appreciation and elicited praise from those I ran them by:

Clown College Rejection Letter – Nick Roos
I bet that’s not the only No.2 on the field – A.J. Stanaway
Clowney Con Carnage – Roddy Fernandez
How I met our father – Arif Hasan
Jacapitated – Ryan Boser

The last three were my favorites. Thanks for the terrific response. I’ll have another contest in August.

Jacapitated . . . still makes me smile.

Reads Listens Views 7/12/2013

July 12, 2013 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield they may not be (yet), but Liskiewitz's choice of the Seahawks corner tandem is a smart nod. Photo by Football Schedule. — Brandon Browner is my type of player. Photo by Football Schedule.

Thank You

I got the idea for the Rookie Scouting Portfolio in 2003. I still have a journal filled with notes I took in longhand while watching Steven Jackson and Brandon Browner at Oregon State. I liked Browner for his physicality. The fact that he’s considered a relatively new contributor in the NFL is an amazing story that speaks a lot to his perseverance to take the hard road to get there.

I get it. A project like the RSP requires perseverance. Those who truly study film of draft prospects learn this in short order. You have to give up a lot to do what you love.

A lot of people don’t understand it. I’m living the dream to them. However, they’re dreaming if they think it’s like they imagine.

The cost of a living the dream is a high price tag of commitment to make something a career before it even has a glimmer of true hope to supply what people expect as the benefits. It’s long on work and short on free time, sleep, and it challenges your capacity for repetitive work.

It can take a physical and emotional toll. I’m not alone. This goes for guys like Josh Norris and Dane Brugler and West Bunting and Chad Reuter before them. I could go into detail, but it’s going to sound more and more like a woe as me tale and that’s not the intent.

I love what I do. I chose to do it. I’m paying the freight.

While I thank you for reading the blog and buying the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, the person who deserves the greatest thanks is my wife. She entered my life just after I had waded waste-deep into this commitment. She heard me tell her when we started dating that I’m about a quarter of the way into a career marathon that would mean a lifestyle where doing something as simple as spending free time together might require an organized appointment.

That’s a negative on the romance scale and she didn’t flinch.

She was willing to commit to me and this insane project. She’s flexible about when and how we spend time together. She has provided as many good ideas about what I do with the RSP as anyone. And she’s a beautiful soul who is direct, smart, funny, and one of the toughest people I know.

Thank you, Alicia – a big reason why more and more people are finally figuring out that the Rookie Scouting Portfolio is one of the best small investments of fantasy football/draftnik season is because you’ve persevered so I can continue to do the same.

Download the RSP not because of me getting sentimental, but because I believe in the next statement as much as anything in my life: You’ll immediately see that you got more than your money’s worth for the price you pay. In fact many of you will feel like you’re cheating me – about 2 in every 10 readers email me this sentiment.

Enough of that – time to share things that caught my eye on the Internet in recent weeks.

Listens

I want you to listen to the first 50 seconds of this video and see if you can remember how the melody sounds.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZ8s75iU6E&w=560&h=315]

Now listen to the way these two greats take the same song and make it a new one. The song below is the same basic harmony as the one above, but these guys turn a Cole Porter standard “What Is This Thing Called Love” into a more passionate, earthier, down n’ dirty “Hot House” . . .

[youtube=http://youtu.be/EKiyq1VoAZs ]

To this day, this is still the definition of bad assery at its finest and why great Hip-Hop has its roots in Bebop. I’m sure if I had only five songs to listen to for the rest of my life, this version of “Hot House” would make the list.

Views

About 15 years ago I volunteered as a hospice worker for an Anglican Priest who lived in a trailer about 25 miles from Athens. He was a Korean War veteran. The blast of an exploding shell while on an air craft carrier temporarily blinded him and bought him a ticket back to the states.

While at a military hospital in Texas a few women from the nearby Indian reservation would volunteer to help the injured veterans. One of the volunteers began reading this man’s letters daily. They fell in love and he proposed before he ever had the bandages lifted from his eyes.

They were married over 40 years. They moved to Georgia, bought a big house, had two kids, and adopted 27 others during their lifetime. He managed a local hardware store and later an became the Anglican Priest he was when I met him. He had a large congregation and many people in the community came to him for advice.

His wife died after a long battle with cancer and when he was diagnosed a number of years later, he opted not to seek treatment. He had seven years of decent health before I met him. I cleaned for him, set up mouse traps for this small trailer he had moved to after the state government built a highway through his house, and made runs to pick up Kentucky Fried Chicken – his favorite. Most of all I listened to him tell stories about his life.

What was most memorable about my time with this man was that he had 29 kids, a community he gave so much to, and he thanked me – a 28-year-old at the time – for allowing him to tell me things he would never feel comfortable telling any of them. The reason was he was always the listener and adviser.

That was his role and he felt that no one around him knew how to give him the support all human beings need. I suspect he didn’t know how to receive support – much less ask it from those who saw him as a provider for most of his adult life. While this saddened me on some level, I was grateful that I could be there for another human being in this way.

So when I see the picture of this man in a hospital in his final days and the staff allowed him to spend time with his dog, it reminds me that bonds are not always predictable and it’s nice to see an organization recognize it – especially a place prone to bureaucratic entanglements like a hospital.

Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/xPAat-T1uhE]

If you don’t have a daughter, this will make you think long and hard about how you see women. It’s also telling of how much hard work goes into being a truly great actor – emotional work and openness that the average person wouldn’t dare tread. Hat Tip to Jared Plotts in the 216 (if it is still 216).

Football Reads

Who’s really in charge? Power structures for all 32 teams – Albert Breer’s analysis of the decision-makers in the NFL.
Zone-Blocking Basics – E.C. Stoner delivers another strong piece on a technical aspect of the game that should enrich how you see running the football.
Fake Football Writing Contest Results – I got to judge the finals and there were some good pieces to read.
Why Trent Richardson’s 3.6-yard-per-carry average does not matter – A tasty dish from Chase Stuart at Football Perspective.

Non-Football Reads

Welcome to Hell: Philadelphia Has a Serious Case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – If there is one article you read today, this month, or this year, Steve Volk’s piece that reveals how our cities have youth dealing with issues similar to our veterans and Rwandans is the one to read. It will take you about 20 minutes, but I implore you to do so.
King of the Hill Animation Help – I’m not a big fan of animated sitcoms. They have their moments, but I don’t get into them like my wife. However thanks to her, I am a converted die-hard fan of King of the Hill. This is a good PowerPoint for wannabe animators who worked on the show. Entertaining if you’re a King of the Hill buff – and I’ve seen on Twitter than many of you are.
BBC broadcast of Sylvia Path reading her poem “Tulips” – One of the most powerful voices in modern poetry reads one of her pieces. This is an edgy piece because of the juxtaposing imagery of passion and sterility. There’s a tone with her reading where I feel like I’m witnessing an animal that is tense and warning you it’s about to strike if you don’t retreat. H/T to Doug Farrar – yes, that Doug Farrar – for tweeting this the other day.
The Sound of Color – Colorblind artist Neil Harbisson is an intrepid “eyeborg” wearer. That’s a device that converts color into audible frequencies, meaning that Harbisson gets to hear a symphony of color, instead of seeing a world only in grayscale.
The Man Who Predicted Google Glass Forecasts The Near Feature – Physicist and award-winning sci-fi writer David Brinn shares some compelling thoughts.
Banana Peels Into Plastic? – You betcha. H/T to Gary Davenport – a writer I need to feature more here for his fantasy football work.
Goodwill’s Salaries Called Into Question – I love Goodwill’s concept. The execution might need some work.

Views

From the sublime to hilarious toilet humor . . .

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NySWcNT8Oe4]

H/T to my old friend Joe Mendez, who is one of the more well-read guys I know but also one of the least pretentious. Miss hanging with you.

RSO Writers’ League Team Profile: Ryan McDowell, DLF

July 10, 2013 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Lots of Luck for Ryan McDowell's team - $103.5 million of him. But he also snagged some deals. Photo by Angie Six — Lots of Luck for Ryan McDowell’s team – $103.5 million of him. But he also snagged some deals. Photo by Angie Six

Once a month during the season, I’ll be writing about the Reality Sports Online Keeper Salary Cap League that I started with 13 other football writers. If you’re seeking a great GM experience that offers the complexities of realistic contract negotiations and salary cap ramifications in an easy-to-use league management system that does all the work for you, join an RSO league. Use the promotion code RSP20%OFF to earn a 20 percent discount.

Pre-draft strategy

Heading into this auction, I was a bit anxious, mainly about venturing to a new site. That was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the team at RSO could not have made that any easier. Following the tutorials they provided, I felt comfortable with the software and couldn’t wait to get started.

My usual plan with auctions is to target a few specific players at each position and go after them. I typically don’t study average auction values or even assign an estimated budget because auctions seem to each be so different. It is difficult to compare one to another and I think it is crucial to be able to make snap decisions as the value of players is adjusted based on when they are nominated and the remaining funds available to teams.

Entering this auction, what I focused most on was the limited use of long-term contracts. I knew I wanted to use my four-year deal and likely both of my three-year contracts on quarterbacks and wide receivers. I narrowed my list of targets down even further with the potential long-term deals in mind.

McDowell’s Team

Mike Glennon (TB) R

Matt Scott (JAC) R

Andrew Luck (IND) 4 years/$103.5 million

Ryan Tannehill (MIA) 2 years/$9 million

Ryan Mallett (NE) 1 year/$500,000

Giovani Bernard (CIN) R

Latavius Murray (OAK) R

Jason Snelling (ATL) R 1 year/$500,000

Chris Johnson (TEN) 1 year/$12 million

Stevan Ridley (NE) 2 years/$16 million

LaRod Stephens-Howling (PIT) 1 year/$500,000

Danario Alexander (SD) 1 year/$3.5 million

Stephen Hill (NYJ) 1 year/$1.5 million

Justin Blackmon (JAC) 2 years/$10.5 million

Nick Toon (NO) 1 year/$500,000

Josh Gordon (CLE) 3 years/$19 million

Jacoby Jones (BAL) 1 year/$500,000

James Jones (GB) 1 year/$7.5 million

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 3 years/$54 million

Julian Edelman (NE) R

Rob Housler (ARI) 1 year/$6 million

Joel Dreessen (DEN) 1 year/$500,000

Virgil Green (DEN) 1 year/$500,000

Josh Brown (NYG) 1 year/$1.5 million

Mason Crosby (GB) 1 year/$500,000

Packers Defense 1 year/$500,000

Falcons Defense 1 year/$500,000

Raiders Defense 1 year/$500,000

Jordan Reed (WAS) R

Joel Dreessen (DEN) R

Virgil Green (DEN) R

Rob Housler (ARI)

Dennis Pitta (BAL)

Josh Brown (NYG)

Mason Crosby (GB) R

ATL Team Defense (ATL)

GB Team Defense (GB) R

OAK Team Defense (OAK) R

– See more at: http://www.realitysportsonline.com/Rosters.aspx#sthash.c38dg4Tn.dpuf

How did the auction unfold for you?

Would Gordon be the best receiver of the 2013 Draft class? Cleveland thinks so. Photo by Erik Daniel Drost. — I wanted Gordon, but was tentative with the first nomination while feeling out the process. McDowell capitalized. Photo by Erik Daniel Drost.

After nabbing the first nominated player, Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon on a three-year deal for $19 million, I began to experience some technical difficulty. I had to close the site and start again, which led to my draft board listing all available players to fail. While this was an inconvenience, it was a small hurdle. Next, I had trouble with my home internet, which ultimately led to me speeding across the street to my office in the middle of the auction.

Once I was setup there, it was not long until one of my top targets, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was nominated. I was engaged in a bidding war and ultimately overpaid, but got my guy on a four-year deal. I recently stated that Luck might be the safest player to own in a dynasty league, so he is a great option to tag with the lone four-year contract.

Next, I chose to focus on grabbing some deals at running back. I knew with the rapid change from year to year at the position, I did not want to give long-term deals. My next three wins brought me Chris Johnson, Rashard Mendenhall and Stevan Ridley for a total of $31 million, including Ridley on a two-year deal (McDowell has since traded away Mendenhall to Matt Papson’s team for Dennis Pitta).

With some depth at running back, it was time to turn back to the wideouts and I grabbed Hakeem Nicks (3 years/$54 million), Justin Blackmon (2 years/$10.5 million) and James Jones (1 year/$7.5 million). I loved the balance of my team at this point and went on to add my defenses, kickers and young depth at each position. With the auction winding down and my team running out of money, I still had no tight end. I targeted a pair of the most hyped young tight ends of the off-season, Jordan Cameron and Rob Housler. After Bryan Fontaine pushed my limits on Cameron, I focused on Housler and severely overpaid, giving him a one year deal for $6 million.

Because I had acquired solid running back depth and did not feel comfortable with Housler as my starter, I later dealt Mendenhall in a package deal to acquire Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, who should be a much more reliable option as my starting tight end.

Best Deals (Millions in years)

Josh Gordon (3 years/$19 million)
Stevan Ridley (2 years/$13 million)
Justin Blackmon (2 years/$10.5 million)

Worst (Millions in years)

Andrew Luck (4 years/$103.5 million)
Rob Housler (1 year/$6 million)

Good deals for other owners

Jeff Tefertiller's deal with RG3 has McDowell feeling some buyer's remorse with Luck. Photo by Mike Davis. — Jeff Tefertiller’s deal with RG3 has McDowell feeling some buyer’s remorse with Luck. Photo by Mike Davis.

(Lance Zierlein) Anquan Boldin (1 year/$4 million)- Boldin should be a solid starter in this format and came very cheap.
(Rivers McCown) Doug Martin (3 years/$67.5 million)- The Martin nomination came early and I think everyone was still feeling things out. Well done!
(Jeff Tefertiller) Robert Griffin III (3 years/$46 million)- This deal really makes me re-think my Luck contract.
(Sigmund Bloom) Martellus Bennett (1 year/$0.5 million)- Again, we all fell asleep at the wheel. This would have been a much better choice for me than Housler.

Questionable deals for owners (IMHO)

(Bryan Fontaine) Isaiah Pead (4 years/$7 million)- Giving a possible RBBC the only four-year deal is too risky for me. If it works out, Fontaine is getting a steal though.
(Jason Wood) Jared Cook (3 years/$5.5 million)= Again, Cook is too unproven and I would not want to give a mid-level tight end one of the valuable three-year deals.
(Lance Zierlein) TY Hilton (4 years/$26.5 million)- I really like Hilton, he just would not have been my choice to give the lone four-year contract.

Fave team other than mine

Jeff Tefertiller- Jeff was the talk of the auction early on as he threw out some big contracts early. Of course, that meant that he had to sit and wait for some deals at the end of the auction, but the end result looks good to me. He is loaded with studs at almost every starting position, including Brandon Marshall, Julio Jones, Ray Rice, Robert Griffin III, Pierre Garcon and Torrey Smith. Of course, Jeff will need to find a RB2 and a solid tight end, but in a fourteen team league, there will always be some holes.

Impressions of Reality Sports Online

As I mentioned, I had some early technical issues, but I think that is mostly due to my disappointing Time Warner internet service. The RSO software was smooth and easy to catch on to. It offered a service that I had never envisioned and challenged me to think on my feet, as I not only bid on the services of players, but assigned them contracts at the same time. I would certainly recommend other fantasy players to try out the RSO platform.

Short-term / Long-term View of Team

Stop me if you’ve heard this…but I really like my team for both the short-term and long-term. Although my team is filled with young players, I feel comfortable relying on most of those as starters for the 2013 season, including players like Luck, Gordon and Blackmon. At the same time, the youth of those players offers upside and promise for future success.

After the auction, I was really liking my depth at wide receiver, especially for a fourteen team league, and then Gordon and Blackmon were both suspended multiple games. As a result, the first two to four weeks will be a balancing act, but I still have Jones, Alexander and Nicks to lean on.

I am looking forward to the challenge of managing the contracts this time next year, as well as future seasons. It will be crucial to remain active and dedicated to the league in order to succeed.

Fantasy Football Magazine of the Future

July 9, 2013 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

Last week, I compared joining the staff of Footballguys to being the new kid in a neighborhood pickup game. If that’s the case, then veteran staff writer Jason Wood is that kid in the group who is friendly, but isn’t taking everything he sees at face value. All your new-found friends may have bought into the what you showed them on the sand lot in the first game, but Wood’s going to need a few games before he gives his take.

Although he doesn’t have to be the leader, he’s more than capable. He’s the valuable teammate who will give it to you straight if you ask, but he’ll do what’s best for the group. It also means he’s not prone to empty praise and he’s a good barometer for gauging whether people, ideas, and projects are going to cut it.

So when he wrote this email to our staff this morning about the Footballguys Magazine Draft Kit App, I decided it was worth sharing with more than just our internal staff email.

Guys,

Most of you know I’m not generally prone to hyperbole, so please understand that when I say I am FLOORED by the magazine, I mean it. It’s astoundingly impressive. In looking through it this morning, it gave me the same sense of wonderment and excitement I got the first time I cracked open the FF Index magazine back in the day and KNEW that I had an edge over most of my league. It’s the same sense of elation I got the first time I discovered the Mr. Football site or stumbled into our old old old school message boards and struck up intense debates with folks…KNOWING that this was going to make me a better fantasy owner.

Such an impressive effort. It will be an absolute shame if this isn’t THE talk of this fantasy football season.

Awesome efforts on the tech front, and also well done to all my fellow writers who pulled together such fantastic content.

Woodrow

I have to agree with him. Here’s a taste of what to expect from this magazine with content that will stay updated throughout the preseason. In fact, look at the screen shot at the top of the post and you’ll see content that’s from around the web. Yes, we aggregate what’s worth reading outside the confines of Footballguys.com.

You like rankings? How about ADP? What about VBD? It’s all conveniently formatted above with great color-coded team abbreviations and a way to add specific players of note to a personal watch list on the app. How awesome is that?

Do you want to track your drafts? You can do this in the magazine. Nothing like an all-in-one information source and draft day tool kit.

Filter rankings according to your preferred Footballguys staff. View depth charts, top 300 lists and explore our player database.

Just like the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, what you get from the Footballguys Magazine Draft Kit far exceeds its value (just $4.99). If you aren’t a Footballguys subscriber and want taste of what the site has to offer you as a fantasy owner, this is a great way to start.

I love magazines and holding printed material in my hands, but if you want content that doesn’t die as the pages fade or dog-eared, this is the way to go. You can download it here.

Small Frame, Big Game: Kansas State RB John Hubert

July 4, 2013 0 Comments read Players, Running Back

Bill Snyder has earned the moniker "The White Wizard" of college football and RB John Hubert is another one of his small frame, big game minions. Photo by JMR_Photography. — Bill Snyder has earned the moniker “The White Wizard” of college football and RB John Hubert is another one of his small frame, big game minions. Photo by JMR_Photography.

What drives you crazy more: getting whooped or losing a close battle to someone who you think you should have dominated? For me it’s the latter choice because it’s one thing to believe you gave your all and weren’t ready to compete at the same level, but an entirely different story when you think you left your A-game at home to a B-game opponent.

But what if turns out that B-game opponent is a deceptive, A-game player whose skill is making you feel like a underachiever?

For me, the jury is still out when it comes to assessing whether Kansas State RB John Hubert has an A-game worthy of the NFL, but there’s no doubt that if I were a Big-12 defender who just spent an afternoon chasing him around a football field I’d probably need a half-hour date with a heavy bag after the game. Listed at 5’7″, 191 pounds, I’d probably bet someone lunch that he’s not a shade over 185 and I think I’m being generous.

The native of Waco, Texas broke LaDainian Tomlinson’s high school record, but hometown Baylor didn’t even sniff in his direction. Enter Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, a man who knows a thing or two about small backs who play big. As I mentioned the other night on Twitter, the more I watch Kansas State’s offense the greater the admiration I have for Snyder.

The K-State legend’s offense is one that coach Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops – a former Snyder assistant – says is like playing three different systems in the same game. What I especially like is the choice and timing of the constraint plays that K-State calls – often using the running game.

Back to Hubert. The diminutive runner got my attention for his 23-carry, 130-yard, 1-touchdown performance in a 24-19 upset of the Sooners in Oklahoma last years. Don’t tell me how bad the Sooners’ defense was; instead, pay attention to how good Hubert was at defeating angles and slipping tackles.

By my count, Hubert broke nine tackles and generated seven first downs on 24 touches. He got a lot of help from the play calls and execution of his teammates, but there are several attempts in this game where Hubert does something small that makes a big difference.

Whether or not this will translate to the NFL is a question I’m glad I have more time to answer. Still, it was too much fun to watch Hubert and not share what I saw. If you enjoy the nuance of play calling and admire a player who knows how to play to his assets, some of these highlights are worth examining.

Cut Block

One of K-State’s bread-and-butter plays is a power sweep from a spread formation. This is a staple of shotgun football, especially mobile quarterbacks in the college game. However, I like the approach the Wildcats take with a 3×1, 10 personnel set because it’s not formation one expects to see a power sweep.

The beginning of the play looks more like a zone read quarterback option. The left tackle slants inside and leaves the defensive end unblocked as the quarterback fakes the exchange with the running back. This draws the end to the middle of the field and puts him harm’s way with pulling right guard. Meanwhile the left tackle is working to the second level to take out the middle linebacker.

Hubert doesn’t get the ball on this play, but his contribution is to work down the line and help seal the edge by either blocking backside pursuit for the safety over the top. It is an illustration of the type of smart player that is comfortable with physical play that Synder seeks.

This alignment creates a 6-5 scenario in favor of the offense on the left side of the field against defensive personnel playing in a dime, which also lends an edge to the man-to-man match-ups between offense and defense. The next photo is a good illustration of this match-up advantage. of having the best athletes at the line of scrimmage making the key blocks to set up this run.

With a lot of runs, we’re watching wide receivers or tight ends taking on ends and linebackers. In this case, K-State has both tackles sealing the inside while the design of the alignment gives the single receiver a one-on-one with a cornerback split wide from the formation. This should provide a wide alley for the quarterback to run through with his running back serving as a lead, giving K-State a 2-1 match-up in open space.

Conceptually this is a winning play because it maximizes personnel strengths against a defensive alignment naturally weaker against the run and it’s set up with enough misdirection that even if the defensive end is thinking a step ahead (zone read to quarterback or running back) he’s being duped to get into position where the pulling tackle gets a clean shot. There are several plays like this ins K-State’s playbook that maximizes personnel numbers and match-ups, but with far different looks.

As Hubert leads quarterback Collin Klein around the corner, we see the right tackle (No.78) sealing the defensive end to the backside and the left tackle working the middle linebacker down field at the 35. Barring a slip, it’s next to impossible for Hubert to do anything wrong to prevent Klein from getting another five yards for a first down.

But Hubert does more than the minimum as he gauges the angle of the safety and executes a good cut block. His head is not up as he makes the play, but he does work across the body of the defender and aims above the knee. These two points make all the difference for Klein to get a clean dip inside the block and work behind the left tackle to earn another 12 yards on the play. Here’s the play from start to finish (starting at 0:09 if you have to click off the ad and replay it).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwI48hn3JcE?start=09&w=560&h=315]

Hubert’s cut block achieves its purpose: crumple the opponent at the point of contact. If a cut block gives the opponent room to fall beyond the point of contact then the blocker’s effort was only partially effective, at best. This was Hubert’s first and best block of the night. He had eight attempts as a run or pass protector and was effective or partially effective five times. He’s good at diagnosing blitzes and green dog blitzes and decent at the cut block, but he’s reckless with his form as a stand-up blocker and tends to throw his body around rather than deliver a controlled punch. I think he’s trying to compensate for his size.

However, I also like that Hubert plays with smarts. He’s the lead blocker once again on a 2nd-and-eight sweep to left end from a 2×1 receiver, 11 personnel shotgun set with 5:57 in the first quarter, but his left tackle is late getting to the edge. It allows the inside linebacker to get down hill with a strong angle to the quarterback.

Hubert is forced to chip the inside linebacker and it delays his angle to the free safety. This allows the free safety to come down hill, get outside Hubert and tackle the quarterback for a loss of a yard. But you can’t blame Hubert unless you preferred the runner to ignore the linebacker because the defender is not his assignment on paper. If that’s the case, the quarterback is probably dropped for a four-yard loss. At least Hubert’s adjustment gave his ball carrier another chance to succeed by making the safety miss.

Here’s a touchdown on a similar play in the second half where Hubert has to delay his angle to check the linebacker before taking out another defender to clear the edge for his quarterback.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwI48hn3JcE?start=241&w=560&h=315]

Once again, Hubert makes sure the first defender doesn’t get through before worrying about his own man and it’s this decision-making that leads to K-State earning the advantage.

It’s these types of small adjustments that Hubert makes as a blocker, receiver, and runner that defines his game.

Good Footwork, Strong Short-Area Quickness, But No Third Gear

One of the things that limits Hubert’s game is his lack of game-breaking speed. Here’s another terrific play that results in a 36-yard gain. However, I believe if a back with Bryce Brown’s top-end speed gets this carry, it’s a 79-yard touchdown. This time K-State uses the spread, but creates misdirection against a defense with run-stopping personnel to generate a mismatch on the perimeter.

This is a 1st-and-10 from the K-State 21 with 8:13 in the half from a 1×2 receiver, 11 personnel shotgun set. Hubert flanks the quarterback’s strong side versus a 43 defensive look with the strong side linebacker play between the tight end and the slot, which gives this two-deep safety look a nickel feel but with 43 personnel.

With 7-8 defenders stationed from the middle to right side of the field – the strong side of the formation – K-State baits the Oklahoma defense by making the play look like it’s going to the strong side when in fact it’s setting up a weak side run to left end where the defense still has the numbers advantage but they have to recover from heading the wrong direction (any player still inside or moving into the orange box) and have more ground to cover in order to make a play on the ball carrier.

If the play is executed as designed – and it is – Hubert earns a one-on-one in the open field with a cornerback. Advantage: Wildcats.

K-State pulls the guards to the strong side and the left tackle allows the defensive end to move past, hoping the defender will crash down the line as backside pursuit when he sees the guards pulling to the strong side. This opens left end and gives Hubert the choice of a one-on-one with the corner or an alley between the left tackle and the slot receiver. Where Hubert shines is that he takes neither options I presented with the arrows.

Instead, Hubert presses the alley inside the slot receiver by making a sharp cut around the defensive end at the edge and this forces the cornerback to bend his hips, stop his momentum, and work towards the wide receiver. Hubert wants both defensive backs to work inside so he can bounce it behind his wide receiver and this press and cut works to perfect.

He follows up with a stutter to get outside the wide receiver’s push of the safety inside and is still quick enough to squeeze under the flat-footed corner at the 26.

Hubert dips under the corner and hops away from the wrap to his ankles. His footwork to change direction in tight spots and avoid wraps to his lower legs is one of Hubert’s greatest strengths as a runner. Some backs have great speed, strength, and size, but wrap them at the angles or knees and they’re done. Hubert lacks all three of these characteristics but he’s tough for defenders to grasp.

Here’s the play from beginning to end.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwI48hn3JcE?start=91&w=560&h=315]

The one thing lacking that the NFL expects from smaller backs is game-breaking speed. Hubert fails to beat the backside safety coming across the field to make the play. There’s a lot of opportunity for him to outrun this angle, but despite the quicks to operate in tight spaces he lacks that final gear to blow by defenders when given the room to open his stride.

Still, the change of direction, the press and cut concepts that he also displays as an interior runner, and the footwork to turn good tackle angles into bad ones are all impressive.

Turning Good Defensive Angles Into Bad Ones: Why He Frustrates Opponents

This fourth-quarter play from a 2×2 receiver, 10 personnel set versus a dime look at the Oklahoma 19 is another good example the qualities I just described above. This play is a trap, but the crease behind the right guard is closed shut before Hubert approaches the line of scrimmage because of penetration from the defensive tackle over left guard who crosses the face of the center and blows up the design of the play.

Hubert takes it all in stride. He approaches the line, looks to where the defensive tackle was before the snap and find a wide gap between left tackle and left guard and bends the run away from right side of the line that has been blown up by the Oklahoma defensive line.

As he crosses the line of scrimmage the backside tackle gets a bead on Hubert, but is unable to wrap the runner thanks to a quick stiff arm and turn of Hubert’s pads away from the linemen.

Hubert runs through the early attempt at this wrap and continues down hill for another four yards where the safety wraps and drags the runner three yards later to the eight.

Watch the video to see it all put together. While the defensive tackle “should have” tackled Hubert, you have to credit the runner for being the first to get his hands on the defender and follow up with evasive action.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwI48hn3JcE?start=235&w=560&h=315]

This is why vision, leverage, and footwork in a running back can be as effective as brute strength. It’s the kind of short area skill that Warrick Dunn had at the pro level. The difference between Dunn and Hubert is speed. If Hubert can improve his speed and prove that his shifty style can get the job done against the highest tier of defensive talent, he has the makings of a contributor.

While I’m skeptical, I’m looking forward to seeing more from Hubert and K-State’s offensive schemes as I gather more information.

For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio.The 2014 RSP will available April 1 and if you pre-order before February 10, you get a 10 percent discount. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2014 RSPs at no additional charge and available for download within a week after the NFL Draft. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

RSO Monthly Update: Off Season Grinding

July 4, 2013 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

If you acquire Victor Cruz before he became a starter, you're probably a grinder. See below. Photo by Football Schedule. — If you acquired Victor Cruz before he became a starter, you’re probably a grinder. See below. Photo by Football Schedule.

Once a month, I’ll be writing about the Reality Sports Online Keeper Salary Cap League that I started with 13 other football writers. If you’re seeking a great GM experience that offers the complexities of realistic contract negotiations and salary cap ramifications in an easy-to-use league management system that does all the work for you, join an RSO league. Use the promotion code RSP20%OFF to earn a 20 percent discount.

When I was a kid nothing ruled my free time more than pickup games of football. The setting for those games was dictated by your age and neighborhood. When you’re a six year-old living in an apartment complex, it means your games are restricted to whatever kids you could round-up within a two-block radius of the complex.

At eight, your territory expanded to the entire complex and the adjoining neighborhood to include the friends you made at school. By the time you’re 12, your pool of competition and settings for games spanned a five-mile radius of your home.

If your family moved during your childhood, then you know that it adds another dynamic to neighborhood pickup games. I moved three times as a kid and always to an apartment complex, so I’m familiar with being the new guy.

As the new guy if you want to make friends fast you want to maintain that delicate balance of proving that you’re neither the chump nor the bully. Pickup football games were the best way to do it. The first thing I always tried to do before the game started was to show something before we picked teams.

The two easiest ways to heighten your neighborhood draft stock was the vertical game. I always made sure I brought a football with me to the game. Just before the group chose captains I either got someone to throw me a deep pass or I had someone go deep. Do one of those two things and your draft stock jumped from dead-last to at least the middle of the pack.

But the best way to skyrocket your neighborhood draft stock and scout much of your competition at the same time was to initiate a pre-game warm-up of ‘Gator’. If you’re not familiar with the name, you probably played the game. It was essentially a kick return drill. The object was to catch the ball and run through the field of players to the end zone.

As a kid who wore a size 10 shoe by the time he was 9, I was generally big enough to compete with guys 2-3 years older than me. I made sure I did one of three things: caught the kick and ran over someone; knocked the biggest guy down with a block where I had to outrun others to get there; or run through someone on the way to tackling the ball carrier.

The immediate goal wasn’t to try to show everyone you were the best guy on the field. You might not be and that was alright. You wanted everyone to know that you weren’t the chump of the group.

Likewise you always noted the guys who could catch, tackle, and break tackles. But I always tried to spot the kid with the grinder mentality. There was always at least one kid in every neighborhood game who did the little things that made a team good that most didn’t notice. Having one or two stars was important, but you needed quality, capable worker bees to build a winning team.

Alfred Morris, the Grinder's grinder. Photo by Keith Allison. — Alfred Morris, the Grinder’s grinder. Photo by Keith Allison.

You can see the same elements at play with fantasy football owners. While I competed with all-star fantasy writers like David Dodds, Sigmund Bloom, Gregg Rosenthal, Scott Pianowski, and Bob Harris while writing for FFToday.com, becoming part of Footballguys staff in 2009 was like expanding the neighborhood territory for more pickup games.

Invitations to re-draft, dynasty, and IDP leagues came from all directions – especially from Footballguys staff. And this is one of those neighborhoods with a concentration of all-stars in their own right. Bob Henry, Jason Wood, John Norton, and Maurile Tremblay are just a few of the names I could mention.

However, there were Footballguys not as well-known to me at the time, but they had plenty of game. There are about six I want to mention, but two at the top of the list are Aaron Rudnicki and Jeff Tefertiller. “Ruds” couldn’t make the draft date of the RSO league start-up, but you best believe that until he quits playing fantasy football I’m sending him an invitation to compete in any league I ever run because he’s adept at IDP, re-draft, and dynasty formats and he’s a master pick-sniper on draft day.

Tefertiller isn’t an IDP guy, but I enjoy competing with him because he’s a grinder. In dynasty formats, off-season grinding can build you a winner. Here’s a list of players I’ve added – and sadly, sometimes dropped – while doing the off-season grinding on the waiver wire to enhance the back-end of my dynasty rosters:

Victor Cruz
Alfred Morris
Dennis Pitta
Lance Moore
Brandon Lloyd
Chris Ivory
Andre Brown
Brian Hartline
LaGarrette Blount
Greg Hardy
Vontaze Burfict
Dannell Ellerbe
Thomas DeCoud

Tefertiller is one of the more active dynasty grinders I compete against. So it came as no surprise he’s the most active owner on the RSO waiver wire during the slowest months of the football year and only a month removed from our free agent auction.

Not including RSO co-founder Matt Papson, who took over a team where the original owner had to abandon the auction half way through the process and has made seven transactions and numerous trades since late-May to salvage this team, Tefertiller and I have been the most active off-season grinders, but I only have four transactions to Tefertiller’s 14.

Here’s Tefertiller’s roster with the added players in bold:

Quarterback	Running Back	Wide Receiver
Zac Dysert (DEN) R	Lance Dunbar (DAL) R	DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) R
Brock Osweiler (DEN) R	Michael Turner (ATL)	Jarrett Boykin (GB) R
Robert Griffin III (WAS)	Cedric Benson (GB) R	Deonte Thompson (BAL) R
Shaun Hill (DET) R	Ray Rice (BAL)	Terrance Williams (DAL) R
Kyle Orton (DAL) R	Beanie Wells (ARI) R	Patrick Edwards (DET) R
		Josh Boyce (NE) R
		Brandon Marshall (CHI)
		Pierre Garcon (WAS)
		Julio Jones (ATL)
		Torrey Smith (BAL)

Tight End	Kicker	Defense
Chris Gragg (BUF) R	Shayne Graham (CLE) R	CIN Team Defense (CIN) R
Jeff Cumberland (NYJ) R	Garrett Hartley (NO)	SD Team Defense (SD)
Marcedes Lewis (JAC)		NYG Team Defense (NYG) R
Delanie Walker (TEN) R		JAC Team Defense (JAC) R

Tefertiller has also cycled through this list of players:

Chiefs QB Tyler Bray
Packers QB B.J. Coleman
Packers QB Graham Harrell
Saints RB Travis Cadet
Jets RB Joe McKnight
Browns WR Travis Benjamin

If you pay attention to OTA news then you can see the pattern with the players added and dropped from his roster. It should also be obvious to you that Tefertiller has a good crew of receivers, an RB1 in Ray Rice, and a potential superstar in Robert Griffin. This team may have a hole at RB2 and lack a quality backup at QB, but he has also built this roster to have room to fill these holes through free agency and trades as the preseason heats up.

Cumberland is a serviceable addition at tight end and Thompson, Dunbar, and Boykin all are an injury away from getting a chance to prove themselves as at least rotational contributors. While some owners may have chosen to spend more energy acquiring running backs at this point, wide receiver is the most liquid of positions to trade and he’s building on his strength so he can use this position as a bargaining chip rather than attempting to win the lottery with an unknown back.

Beanie Wells, Michael Turner, or Cedric Benson may not see an NFL field this year, but at this point it’s worth holding onto them to see if a team acquires their services when a starter gets hurt. NFL roster management accounts for finances so backups on a depth chart might be the No.2 or No.3 back in name, but some may only hold those roles because they are cheaper and have growth potential.

Greg Hardy is waiver wire fodder turned double-digit sack monster. Photo by Parker Anderson.

However, a team that sees its starter lost for the season due to injury may decide that a one-year deal at a larger salary for an established veteran is a better option than what’s on the depth chart – especially when these three players have sat at home long enough for it to sink in that a multi-year deal with a guaranteed starting role is a thing of the past.

Quarterback	Yrs	$	Running Back	Yrs	$	Wide Receiver	Yrs	$
Jay Cutler (CHI)	1	4.0	Arian Foster (HOU)	2	51.0	Calvin Johnson (DET)	2	69.5
Carson Palmer (ARI) R	1	3.0	Steven Jackson (ATL)	1	16.5	Cecil Shorts (JAC)	4	18.5
Alex Smith (KC) R	2	2.5	Ryan Williams (ARI) R	1	2.5	DeSean Jackson (PHI)	3	10.5
Sean Renfree (ATL) R	3	R	Ben Tate (HOU) R	3	7.5	Keenan Allen (SD)	3	R
			Alex Green (GB) R	1	0.5	LaVon Brazill (IND) R	1	0.5
			Shaun Draughn (KC) R	1	0.5	Marvin Jones (CIN) R	1	1.0
			Miguel Maysonet (CLE) R	1	0.5	Domenik Hixon (CAR) R	1	0.5
			Bobby Rainey (BAL)	1	0.5	Earl Bennett (CHI) R	1	0.5
						Marquess Wilson (CHI) R	3	R
						Da’Rick Rogers (BUF) R	3	R
						Kenbrell Thompkins (NE) R	1	0.5

Tight End	Yrs	$	Kicker	Yrs	$	Defense	Yrs	$
Vernon Davis (SF)	1	8	Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)	1	0.5	Seattle	1	3
Dwayne Allen (IND) R	1	2.5	Robbie Gould (CHI) R	1	0.5
Luke Willson (SEA) R	3	R
Julius Thomas (DEN)	1	0.5
Zach Sudfeld (NE) R	1	0.1

Like Tefertiller, I continued to add to a strength by acquiring Julius Thomas and Zach Sudfeld after hearing good news from OTAs. If I hit on three tight ends from this group of five, I have bargaining chips to trade for picks, cap room, or depth. In addition to this pair of tight ends, I dropped Cedric Peerman for Miguel Maysonet just until we learn more about the Cleveland depth chart and Richardson’s shin issues.

I also dropped Bobby Rainey today and added Travis Benjamin, who has a good shot to start two games to begin the year. The move also might afford me time to sit on LaVon Brazill to see if he can keep his roster spot as a Colt or find a job elsewhere.

I also traded away Alex Smith to Papson for a third-round pick last month. Cutler and Palmer are enough depth to pull the trigger to give away a player I never meant to acquire.

None of this grinding may help either Tefertiller or my team – in fact, there’s a chance we dropped players who might have helped us more – but I don’t believe it. I think the consistent tinkering and movement of the bottom end of a roster lends credence to that idea that part of skill is creating your own good luck.

Try RSO for your next league. Use the promotion code RSP20%OFF to earn a 20 percent discount.

Mirror Images: Percy Harvin-Lardarius Webb

July 3, 2013 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Percy Harvin and Ladarius Webb are do-everything, physical players whose games are bigger than their bodies. Photo by Rick Burtzel. — Percy Harvin and Lardarius Webb are do-everything, physical players whose games are bigger than their bodies. Photo by Rick Burtzel.

By Cian Fahey, Pre Snap Reads

What are you?

It’s a simple question with a million answers. Some of us will answer it immediately, maybe with just one word. Others will spend their whole lives searching for an answer and never come up with one. A smaller portion of us will never give a damn.

No matter how you feel about your answer, it’s impossible for you to escape the question. If you don’t answer it, plenty more will for you. Even if you do answer it, others will still look to change what you say. That’s the world we live in.

Everything needs to be labelled. Everything needs to be classified. Most of all everything needs to be simplified.

Recently, former college quarterback and 2013 NFL draft prospect Denard Robinson had to ask himself that question. Robinson probably wanted to answer it “quarterback” but those deciding his fate came up with different ideas. At the combine he tried to be a wide receiver. At the draft he was labelled a running-back. Now that he’s in the league, he’s being called an offensive weapon.

An offensive weapon. Seems ambiguous, right?

Is it really anymore ambiguous than any other label we use in the NFL? Mike Wallace and Anquan Boldin are wide receivers. Very little of their games really crossover. Jacquizz Rodgers and Michael Turner were running-backs for the same team last year, you’re not going to confuse one for the other. Craig Stevens and Jimmy Graham couldn’t play the same position if you spent 10 years trying to teach them.

That’s just the offensive side of the ball, on defense things get even more muddled the further you explore the depths of the league.

In reality, every offensive player is an offensive weapon, while every defensive player is a defensive weapon(or defensive shield if you like). The phrasing really doesn’t matter, it’s just that, phrasing. What is important in football isn’t who you are, it’s what you do. Some players have such skill-sets that they welcome the label they receive, but others spend their careers confusing those watching them.

Webb is Harvin's mirror image on the defensive side of the ball. Photo by Keith Allison. — Webb is Harvin’s mirror image on the defensive side of the ball. Photo by Keith Allison.

What is Percy Harvin? What is Lardarius Webb?

The simple answers are wide receiver and cornerback. Of course, they’re also wrong answers. Harvin and Webb are their positions in the same way that I am a writer. Technically, it’s an accurate statement, but it tells you nothing about me or what I really do.

Harvin and Webb both missed much of last season because of injuries, but that’s the most tenuous of connections you could create. Harvin is listed as being 5-11 and 184 lbs, while Webb is down as 5-10 and 182 lbs. Both have very similar, slender frames, but both also have significantly more strength and power running through their bodies than one would expect from simply looking at them on the field.

Harvin is known for being an electric player who can jink around, run past, or sidestep defenders in tight areas, but he also has that ability to put his head down and run through defenders when he has to. Webb is considered one of the very best cover cornerbacks in the NFL, but he also plays in the slot for the Ravens in nickel packages when he gets to show off his outstanding tackling ability.

Webb is the rare defensive back who is able to punish running-backs with tackles, while Harvin is the rare slot receiver who can run over safeties rather than be ran over by them.

Being able to do everything is one thing, but being able to do everything from different areas of the field is something special. Outside of playing on the offensive line, the only position Harvin seemingly hasn’t lined up at during his career so far is tight end. That’s not even considering his impact as a kick returner. Webb doesn’t play safety or on the defensive line, but the way he plays the slot position in nickel packages essentially makes him the fourth or fifth linebacker on the field, while he can play either side as an outside cornerback in base defenses.

Defending Harvin is next to impossible. He’s not the kind of player who runs away from linebackers and uses his strength to overpower defensive backs, he’s the kind of player who doesn’t need to discriminate with his talents. In other words, he can beat whoever he wants in whatever way he wants.

Beating Webb is just as difficult. He has the physical style to fight with tight ends or bigger receivers, but the fluidity to cover a guy like Wes Welker inside or run with AJ Green down the sideline. There are few cornerbacks who are better than Webb and maybe only one who is more versatile.

So that brings us back to the question. What is Percy Harvin? What is Lardarius Webb?

What am I?

I’m…confused by the question.

The Jadeveon Clowney RSP Contest

July 2, 2013 0 Comments read RSP Publication

I think this would be a good tattoo for Jadeveon Clowney. Photo by ToteMoon.

I can’t think of a better tone setter for the college football season/2014 NFL Draft season than a piece on South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. I’m writing a piece on him for the fall and I want you to help me come up with clever names for what happens on this play below. The five-best entries will win a copy of the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio or a past copy of their choice. Details below.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/gC44nP7ClxM]

Post your entry in the form below. You may enter as many times as you wish. I have a feeling that the fewer the words (four or less) used, the better. However, if you have a longer phrase to describe what Clowney does to Vincent Smith on this play by all means give it a shot.

As tempting (and entertaining for me) as it might be, entries with curse words will be disqualified from consideration. If I use more than one of your entries in the publication the prize remains your choice of one publication. I also reserve the right to deem you among the winners but not use the phrase in the article (although I hope to include the best five).

The contest ends in 10 days (Friday, July 12). Winners will be announced a week after the contest end date (Friday, July 19).

Ready?

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Location’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

Overview and Fantasy Impact of the WR Position

Skill Breakdowns

Separation

By Cian Fahey, Pre Snap Reads

Tight End

Yrs

$

Kicker

Yrs

$

Defense

Yrs

$

By Cian Fahey, Pre Snap Reads