It's FLOPPIN' Crazy in HERE

We’re only days away from the annual draft lottery in Dallas, which also coincides with the World Cup in South Africa where thousands and thousands of Americans (this number obviously does not include our illegal immigrant population) will gather round, sipping Capri Suns and sucking down orange slices to watch grown men fall on the ground repeatedly. Rivoting.


The NCL Draft Lottery, where NCL owners will make crucial franchise selections, is a bit of an inexact science. Before even mini and training camps, owners are forced to predict what’s going to happen in 2010 based off of results from 2009. Needless to say, a lot can happen in the offseason that can affect what a team will do in 2010. Let’s take the Texans for example. One has to assume that Steve ‘Fumbles’ Slaton (Comeaux franchisee) is damaged goods going forward. However, what happens if already-injured 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick Ben Tate is unavailable, and the cadre of Ryan Moats, Ariahn Foster and about 36 other guys can’t answer the call? Will Slaton find success again behind an older, craftier offensive line (which is now without the service of Alex Gibbs who followed Pete Carroll to Seattle)? Will the Texans passing attack struggle under new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison after Chrissy Simms’ best buddy Kyle followed his dad to Washington? It’s easy to see where lots of questions need lots of answers, and when marrying yourself to a tag for three years is a lot of guesswork.

NCL NOTES

Receiver League?

With the NFL babying the quarterback and disallowing as much as a finger to be laid on a wide receiver and the advent of the universal two-back system, are we seeing the transition to QB/WR dominated fantasy football landscape? Looking at early preseason FF Rankings, the early favorites are still runners. Maurice Jones-Drew, AP, Michael Turner, Adrian Peterson and others occupy the first few spots. We’re starting to see more QBs and WRs (Brady, Manning, Fitz, Andre Johnson, etc.) sneak further up the charts. Does this affect Franchise decisions?



Favre Factor



By the Vikings inaction on the QB position (unless you include TARvaris’ one-year extension, which I don’t; black quarterbacks never win anything), it’s pretty much a forgone conclusion that everyone’s favorite Wranglers pitchman will be under center in 2010. The indestructible Favre underwent ankle surgery in the offseason and is another year older. Will he be a top fantasy QB again? If you want him…well, don’t even think about it. I’ve got Salonen taking him in the first round…and tagging him for three years.

Dash on the Short Term?

It’s a well-known fact that most running backs that go over 300 carries early in their career are as good as garbage by year four. So will Chris Johnson suffer the same fate? I say no. Though he had over 25 carries routinely, Johnson didn’t take the pounding that someone like, say Adrian Peterson does. Johnson is an outside the tackles runner who routinely bounces outside when the end stays at home due to VY’s speed, so he’s not constantly grinding out two yards and a cloud of dust.



Tom’s Pick to Not Click

Ryan Matthews-RB San Diego Chargers



Many were shocked when San Diego traded picks to move up and get Matthews out of Fresno State to man their backfield. With LT moving on to greener pastures (pun intended-LT is going to turn some heads this seasons behind the Jets’ offensive line), Matthews is the guy in San Diego. Looking for an immediate return in 2010? Not likely. The Chargers offensive line has more holes than Nancy Wall, and with the continued growth of the Charger’s pass-happy offense, Matthews won’t have much of an impact this season. He’ll likely go in the first two rounds in August’s NCL draft, but he’s more a franchise pick to payoff in 2012 and potentially beyond.