Keep Three Quarterbacks

I hope most teams have learned their lesson about rolling the dice and keeping only two quarterbacks on a roster.

An article by Mike Wilkening on ProFootballTalk discussed the Packers coaches struggling with that decision: keep two or three signal callers?

And they should know the seriousness of that call.

Last year, the Packers season suffered a serious blow when Aaron Rodgers was hurt and missed several games.

The backup situation was made worse in that none of the three training camp QBs were on the opening day roster.

Management was then scrambling in trying to solidify that position--and as expected, it did not turn out so well for Green Bay.

If it were me, I would find an approach to keep three QBs. Be creative and identify someone else who can do two things and strengthen the roster that way.

I think the NFL could help as well, and offer some sort of extra QB roster slot that does not count against the standard number. It could be a developmental QB or whatever, but at least it would improve the play on the field for fans--ones that will be shaking their heads if a QB goes down.

Just have three at your disposal.

Take Jimmy Graham with Your First Pick?

For the past few seasons, I have been all in on Saints TE Jimmy Graham.

He has been a touchdown machine and worthy of a high fantasy draft pick.

And he should flourish in getting off the ball better with the new stricter enforcement about defensive contact--the rule that tries to keep defensive backs from touching receivers outside of the designated zones.

But still this year, I am worried.

The going rate for him is late first round or #8 overall at NFL.com.

Which means by selecting Graham, I'd likely be passing up elite running backs like Ball, Foster, and Murray. And depending on the draft order, I'd also risk missing out on the top WRs and perhaps QBs as well.

It just seems like that there is a model now to neutralize him, and defensive coordinators have had all of the off-season to study it.

The Patriots put Talib on him all game and Jimmy totaled zero catches.

Graham did have a touchdown against Seattle in the regular season game last year, but he was limited to 3 catches for 40 or so yards and was not a key contributor.

The playoff game against the Seahawks featured a Seattle defense that completely prevented Graham from helping his team.

It is tough for me to block the memory of those performances.

Now, Graham should be the #1 TE considered in fantasy drafts and everyone expects him to grab balls and cross the goal line regularly, but I struggle with the price: that late first round pick.

I will be comfortable letting someone else select him at #8, and then waiting until the mid-rounds or later for a TE.

I'll have to wait and see if my concern over Graham was accurate or misguided.

Such is the life of a fantasy owner.

When to Draft a Tight End

When should you draft a tight end in your fantasy football standard scoring league?

Lately, I have been reading and listening to lots of the experts talk draft strategy.

With TEs, everyone likes Jimmy Graham, but some favor Rob Gronkowski and expect him to regain his previous superstar form, while still other experts recommend Broncos end Julius Thomas as the one to target--that another year working with Peyton Manning, combined with his value at the overall ranking of #42 , are too appealing to pass on.

Whichever TE that you think will be best this season, one draft strategy prevails among the experts.

It is a two-pronged approach where you either:

1. Draft Graham, Gronk, or Thomas early and be happy that the other owners in your league will be taking more risks on what is left, or


2. Wait… then wait…. then wait some more… Finally grab a couple of the tight ends from the pile that is left like: Washington's Jordan Reed, Kyle Rudolph of the Vikings, or Chicago TE Martellus Bennett.

Though more risky, the latter option still has potential.

I loved watching Reed play last year. Good hands and gets open. The scare with him is injuries.

An argument can also be made for Rudolph's success in that the new Offensive Coordinator is Norv Turner--a coach whose style often features the TE.  Turner's work last season in Cleveland was very good for their end Jordan Cameron, and already considered a trustworthy receiver, Rudolph could be a regular target this year in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Bennett performed well last year, and the Bears offense may be one of the best in the league this season.

So, if you waited to draft a TE, no worries;  just select one like the three mentioned above, and then add depth with someone like the old reliable Heath Miller of the Steelers or popular sleeper pick Colts' Dwayne Allen.

I have been mock drafting experimenting with both parts of the approach--either prioritize a TE very early or waiting until late--and have been happy with my finished roster.

Dream Another Dream

I was sad to learn that Giants' running back David Wilson is leaving his career in the NFL.

Doctors advised him to stop playing football last week after feeling discomfort in his neck.

We all want to be able to call our own shots.

Walk away from a career, a job, a competitive field, or whatever we love on our own terms.

Walk away when we are ready.

David did not get that opportunity.

He will always have to battle the "what ifs" in terms of how much success the talented former #1 draft pick would have had playing professional ball.

The "what ifs" that each of us deal with in considering roads not taken during our lives.

One consolation that may not feel like one now, but should be viewed with much more clarity as time plods along is this: David is walking away.

He got to play football at the highest level, and has his health.  He said: "...Now I have a chance to dream another dream and live that, too."

Great attitude David, and thanks for providing a positive example of how to deal with life's obstacles.

Better Tackling Means Fewer Fumbles?

I watched the tackling instructional video released recently by Head Coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks staff.

In general, they advocate shoulder tackling using leverage and then wrapping up--avoiding head contact as much as possible

This is patterned after rugby techniques.

I commend Coach Carroll for this approach, and have wondered for years why the NFL got away from traditional tackling.

Too often, players tuck their arms and lead with their heads. This style results in so many missed tackles due to players launching themselves like a missile and going for the big hit.

Obviously, it has also caused enormous player safety issues--long and short term.

But will this change in philosophy catch on at the professional level?

I hate the "head and missile" technique, but when that helmet does hit the football being held by a ball carrier, it will cause fumbles.

Fumbles that can be game-changers and lead to victories.

The Seahawks were a great defense in 2013, but they were only tied for 10th in fumbles recovered with 11.

Will there be fewer fumbles as safer tackling is employed league-wide?

I believe so, but a better question is: Will coaches and players sacrifice their short-term success (winning games, individual accolades, financial rewards, etc.) for the long-term benefits that shoulder tackling offers?

We shall see.

You can go to the Seattle Seahawks' site here to watch the video.

Need One New Fantasy Football Owner for League

Want to join a fantasy football league?

Try mine!

I have one opening for the upcoming season.

We have a great bunch of established owners including Chuck from Incessant Ramblings, Pat Hatt of It's Rhyme Time , and Lisa of the Mommy's Nest.

This is the league's fourth season, we play for free as in fun/bragging rights, and use NFL.com.

Never played before?

That is ok too--we welcome players at any experience level.

If you are interested or have questions, just send an email to theslamdunktrove@gmail.com or holler at me on Twitter at: slamdunktrove .

Note: More about the league: it is 10 teams, redraft, standard scoring, and standard lineups. The one exception is instead of the traditional 2 running backs and 3 receivers in the starting lineup, we use 2 running backs, 2 receivers and one flex player (who can either be another running back or receiver). 

Fantasy Projections for Two Cincinnati Bengals

This week, FantasyPros carried an article by Evan Silva of Rotoworld on players to avoid early and/or all together in fantasy football 2014.

Two observations:

1) QB ANDY DALTON

Silva said that QB Dalton finished 3rd in fantasy QB scoring last year. That is a mistake in that Dalton did not finish 3rd, but I was still surprised to find that Dalton finished 5th overall. A new offensive coordinator, lots of pressure to perform, and stats that seemed to be inflated at the end of the year by the atypical pass-pass-pass offense would all seem to support Silva's claim that Dalton will not be as effective in 2014.

2) RB GIOVANI BERNARD

Staying with the Bengals, Silva sees Bernard as overvalued in the second round of most drafts. He supports his arguments with Bernard's limited 14 touch average last year, and that the team drafted competition in the second round with RB Jeremy Hill. Silva sees Hill as more of a touchdown threat and Bernard not worthy of the high pick that should give you RB1 numbers.

Silva's arguments are valid, but I counter:

• As a rookie, Bernard's coaches were trying to limit his touches per game so that he could remain healthy; they will likely be more apt to let him play this year


• As Bernard became more comfortable with the playbook and decision-making, he became more involved in the offense--a trend supported by his second-half of the season targets per game


• New Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson will implement a run first attack; which should translate into more carries for RBs. Also, I can't think of a roster without competition at RB. General Managers are smart enough to know that having multiple RBs that can be trusted by coaches is a necessity in today's NFL


• Silva focuses on the 14 touch average for Bernard per game, but his average over the final 8 games was actually 16 touches and 17 targets. This allowed for more production late


• He also speculates that RB Hill will steal goal-line touches as the heavier back. I need more evidence of this before buying it. As a rookie, Hill will have lots to learn and prove.  And if this is true, it will be something we should see from reports in training camp and in the preseason games. And just because Bernard is short (5'8'') does not necessarily mean he is a small back. At 208 lbs., Bernard is the same weight as LeSean McCoy and is 10 lbs. heavier than Jamaal Charles--two backs with similar skills sets who are not removed from the game when their team is on the goal line 

There is no debate that Giovani Bernard is a talented athlete who can produce, but I think the new run-focused offense, Bernard's experience as a second-year player, and Bernard's versatility in the run and pass game will translate into an excellent 2014 fantasy season.

Evidently, I am not alone.

Posted to Silva's home site Rotoworld, Paul Dehner, Jr. projects Bernard to have at least 230 carries and 70 catches.

The arguments in Evan Silva's article are well supported and you can read it by clicking here.