5/3/02
In the weeks following the NFL draft, 1,000 questions pop into the
fantasy addict's head. How long will it be before Carr and Harrington
start? Will Ashley Lelie make an impact on the Broncos? Can Butch
Davis finally give up on former Hurricane James Jackson and hand the
ball to William Green? Is Donte Stallworth faster than Darryl Green
in his prime? Can DeShaun Foster stop fumbling and unseat the consistently
dull Lamar Smith in Carolina? Will Jeremy Shockey be the next great
receiving tight end in the NFL? How did that bartender make that "Shamrock"
appear in the head of my Guinness? Will Roy Williams be as statistically
productive in the pros as he was in college? (for those of you with
defensive players in your leagues, this is a very important question).
Can any of Steve Spurrier's draftees succeed in his "system"?
While all of the above certainly are legitimate questions, the
real fantasy strategist looks at the draft not only to find impact
players who will rise from the ranks of the 261 draftees, but also
for existing players who might be positively or negatively impacted
by a team's off-season maneuvering. Here is a list of 7 offensive
players who may benefit from this year's early off-season moves,
and 7 whose statistics are likely to suffer:
Keyshawn Johnson
Since Tampa Bay traded a chunk of their draft for Jon Gruden, we
have to consider the Bucs' draft in this light. Gruden has already
moved Keyshawn from flanker to split end to spoil opponents' plans
to bottle up Tampa's biggest offensive weapon with double and triple
coverage. Tampa also drafted a big receiver, Marquis Walker, and
signed Joe Jurevicius to draw away some coverage. Look for Keyshawn
to get the damn ball often.
Travis Henry
In the first round, Buffalo went out and got a stud offensive tackle.
In the second, they drafted a possession receiver to bolster Moulds
and Price. Then, they made the Bledsoe trade. To compete in the
AFC East will require a good running game, and the weather in Buffalo
calls for the same. With the added offensive weapons drawing defenses
away, look for Henry to have a big sophomore campaign, particularly
if Moulds returns to his old form.
Peyton Manning
What? Indy drafted D...How does Peyton benefit? Well, Indy's defense
might actually stop a few teams this year. Better field position
and more offensive plays will result in more scoring opportunities
for the Colts and Manning. It is true that Tony Dungy never had
offensive success is Tampa...but he never had Tom Moore running
his offense either.
Tim Couch
Adding a strong, fast running back (Green) and a down-field receiver
(Davis) to the Browns' mix in the first two rounds will undoubtedly
benefit the QB. Also, Melvin Fowler (C) was a nice pick in the third
round. It seems that Butch Davis and the rest of the Browns organization
recognize that Couch has been under-utilized. Look for his numbers
to go up significantly this year.
Michael Bennett
The Minnesota running back began to show some promise at the end
of last year. With Culpepper now having extra protection from Mount
McKinney, who remarkably never gave up a sack in his college career,
the Vikes will be able to stretch the field and allow Bennett some
freedom from creeping linebackers and safeties.
Koren Robinson
Again, this involves not only draft moves, but off-season maneuvering.
First, Jeramy Stephens is a weapon -- you heard it here. He will
draw safety coverage, as will Shaun Alexander, and this will allow
Seattle's wideouts more single coverage situations. Second, Robinson
will get a full training camp and will be able to develop timing
with Dilfer from the first day of practice. There is a reason that
Robinson was considered by many NC State fans as a better receiver
than Tory Holt -- look for him to shine in those sleek, new Seahawk
uni's.
Priest Holmes
Dick Vermeil did not improve the Chief's offense via the draft.
Although Johnnie Morton should add some receiver corps strength,
the Chiefs will again need to rely on Holmes to produce.
Joe Horn
Donte Stallworth will want the ball. Donte Stallworth will get the
ball. Joe Horn has already missed a mini-camp. The unrest has begun.
Players who spend their time complaining instead of training usually
fail to produce.
Stephen Davis
Let's face it -- Spurrier drafted a quarterback, a running back
who catches the ball well, a speedy wide receiver and a receiving
tight end -- this is not the look of a team that is concentrating
on a bang-em-up running attack. No matter how Spurrier attempts
to play it in the press, look for the number of Davis' carries to
decrease, and look for the Skins to shuttle in third-down backs.
Jamal Anderson
Dan Reeves has a plan. Obviously, Jamal Anderson is not a part of
it. Instead it will be the V.D. offense (Vick, Dunn/Duckett) carrying
the load for the Falcons. The only way that Jamal gets lucky is
if he is cut.
Trent Green
Just when you thought Dick Vermeil was going to help out his QB
in a receiver-rich draft, Vermeil drafts four defensive players
and an undersized fullback...so much for the outside speed that
the Chiefs need so badly. Morton is a nice addition, but the Chiefs
needed to get more weapons for Green.
Jake Plummer
Without more meat up front, the Snake will be crushed like a worm
under a car tire after a rainstorm. The Cards had ample opportunity
to add some depth to a solid, young offensive line, but they instead
chose all defense. Good for the team...bad for Plummer statistically,
particularly if anyone up front goes down.
Duce Staley
While the recent concentration in Philadelphia seems to be on finding
a replacement for injured co-starter Correll Buckhalter, nobody
has paid attention to the fact that the Eagles also did not add
depth to their O-line nor to their receiver corps in the draft.
Three secondary picks in the first two rounds does nothing to help
Staley.
Jermaine Lewis
When he was selected by Houston in the expansion draft, Lewis probably
saw career-high numbers in his head. But, he will have a rookie
quarterback throwing to him by mid-season, and the talented Jabar
Gaffney will also be asking for the ball. Don't be tempted by Lewis
-- he would have been much better off had the Texans taken Julius
Peppers and DeShaun Foster.
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