Keeper Question

That's tough. I'd leave out Jacobs but that's my choice.

 

Jacobs was in and out several times last year due to injury. It really seemed to me that he had some durability issues. I'd pick him as well to drop.

 

Id let Grant go. You can talk about his sudden emergence but facts are he couldnt beat out jacobs in Giants camp, Brett Favre is gone so he will see more 8 man fronts til rodgers or someone else steps up, and his Ol is arguably the worst of the 3.

The Dolphins will likely need to be a run first team because of their lack of experience and options at the wr and Te positions. Brown is also their best wr. While he is coming off a serious knee injury I think he and Wayne are absolute no brainers. Theyre the 2 with the most long term value. Brown is the guy in Miami for the next few years and with RW over 30 we dont know how effective he will be and how many carries he will take away from ronnie. I think Brown very easily could become a Marshall Faulk type option in the passing game this year because of the type of team we're going to put out there. With the hogs in front of him its not inconceivable that he could churn out 1100 yards rushing and 800+ receiving and 10+ td's.

Jacobs is a different situation. He will likely share some time with Bradshaw (70-30?) but Bradshaw also isnt a goalline back or equipped to handle being an every down back imo. So this shouldnt hurt Jacobs in the redzone or his ability to get 20+ touches a game. he scored double digit TD's despite being hurt, his best football is probably yet to come, and hes got an excellent group of run blocking linemen. Furthermore is the fact that they have downfield passing options and a good qb which means less 8 man fronts. While Jacobs may always take some lumps because of his size, he also may yet have an Eddie George like impact. And despite his size hes still a home run threat because he breaks a ton of tackles. One aspect that does hurt Jacobs is that he drops a lot of passes and is a poor receiving option. I dont love him as a 2nd rb but you could do much worse.

Wayne is a keeper as long as Manning is his QB and playing at a high level. I think that goes without saying.

Grant is the guy id trade. You can sell someone on the fact that GB may be more dependent on him then ever because theyre starting a young qb and what he did last year in such a short time. Leave out the part that his OL is a pass blocking line that was overmatched when facing a good all around front 7 like the Giants and Dallas. Maybe the answer is to trade Grand AND Jacobs for a stud RB. If you find a team that really only has 1 RB try and trade both to him if the guy is a better option like a westbrook or Jackson or LJ etc....

 

Really depends on league rules. I play in a league where Running backs get 2 points for every 10 yards rushing, so a guy like Brandon Jacobs who racks up a lot of 130 and 140 yard games is a stud. But if rushing yards are worth the same as receiving yards it comes down to Jacobs or Grant. Grant is tempting. But a lot of one year wonders at running back have been coming out of Green Bay. Anyone remember Samkon Gado? You have to keep Wayne. He is a about as consistent and good as it gets at WR. With Harrison on the downhill of his career he will only get better. Ronnie is a sure thing. He'll be ready to go and rack up points even if he's splitting with Ricky. I'd go Ronnie, Jacobs, and Wayne, but I'd wait as long as possible to make my decision. We usually don't announce keepers till after the 3rd preseason game in our league.

 

Keep Wayne/Brown/Grant
Dump Jacobs

 

You have a great situation Braz. Id see what each league member was willing to give and Id be proactive about it. Sometimes for something to happen you have to make something happen and now with a first round offer on the table you know you have something to fall back on and make people bid up against. Use it as leverage.

 

I think that's a good way of doing it. That first round pick might be very valuable if you can't do the Grant + Jacobs for Tomlinson deal (that's actually pretty fair value, if he has no third keeper). Look at your league and see who might be going back in the draft pool.

Incidentally, if you have to drop one of those guys, drop Brown. I love him, you love him, we all love him, but he's coming off a knee injury and potentially looking at a split-time situation. Don't be a homer when your money is on the line.

 

In a long-term keeper league, you're right, he's got more value than a year-to-year league. But remember also that your other two RBs are young and talented as well. If Jacobs is injury-prone, then Brown is REALLY injury prone. And maybe Grant's a one year wonder, but I don't think so. In 2009, Brown might well be the best of the bunch. However, odds are that in 2008, he'll be the worst of the three. As much as I like to think long-term with keepers, you need to think first about 2008.

And remember, the history of RBs coming off an ACL tear is very poor, especially their first year. History tells us that there's a VERY good chance that Brown will be mediocre this year (I believe this is a big part of the reason that Ricky Williams figures so prominently in this team's plans.). History also tells us that there's at least a reasonable chance that he won't ever get back to his old level, though that's a much smaller chance.

 

I wouldnt drop Brown even if he is injury prone. Jacobs is in a time share as well with a back who hasnt missed 3 of the last 4 years. So if Brown's in a time share whats Jacobs in? Plus Brown has a softer schedule.

 

I disagree; Jacobs isn't in a timeshare, he has a defined backup in Ahmad Bradshaw.

As for the schedule argument, I'm VERY wary about putting much stock in that at this point in the season. What looks like a good run defense in June sometimes looks like an eight lane highway by October. As exhibit A, I offer the 2007 Dolphins defense.

 

Hes in as much of a time share as Ronnie Brown is. And Brown has more ability, is basically the only proven threat on the team, and at least on paper based on last year plays a softer schedule.

 

Addai is a really good player who will rush and catch passes out of the backfield. I think you did well on the trade. As for taking Ricky, he's a good player that we all love (well some of us) but I don't know about taking him in round 1. I don't understand why you would take another RB that early when Addai is a good one as well as Brown. Brown's health may be a question but you still have Addai. I would grab another one a little later. JMO.

 

Ooo ok, I thought you were saying you would reach for Ricky in round one.

Yeah didn't know about the flex formation. I guess you can go after a RB. Just a heads up on McFadden. He is expected to be used all over the field (returning punts, receiving, rushing, packages for him at QB) and the Raiders expect about 500 yards out of him this season, that's according to Lane Kiffin.

 

Nice job. I happen to like addai as I do anyone in the colts offense. Hes a virtual lock for about 1500 total yards and 10+ tds. Theres a lot to be said for that kind of certainty.

 

That's not a bad move. You trade some upside for a good amount of security. My concern with Addai is that he was disappointing last year, though some of that was due to injury. If healthy, in that offense he could easily be a top 5 back.

And don't lose a ton of sleep over Tomlinson and Westbrook. They're great, but at SOME point, those guys have to decline. And when it happens, it's going to create fantasy chaos for a lot of people.

Do you know where you pick in the draft?