Player Spotlight: Alge Crumpler (1 Viewer)

2008 Player Spotlight Series

One of Footballguys best assets is our message board community. The Shark Pool is, in our view, the best place on the internet to discuss, debate and analyze all things fantasy football. In what's become an annual tradition, the Player Spotlight series is a key part of the preseason efforts. As many of you know, we consider the Player Spotlight threads the permanent record for analyzing the fantasy prospects of the player in question. Last year, we published more than 140 offensive spotlights covering the vast majority of expected skill position starters. This year will be no different.

Each week we will post a list of players to be discussed. Those threads will remain open for the entire preseason, and should be a central point to discussion expectations for the player in question. Importantly, analysis done in the first week of posting will be part of the permanent record in two ways. 1) At the end of the week, we will tally the projections into a consensus. 2) We will select a number of pull quotes from forum contributors who make a compelling statement or observation. Both the projections and pull quotes will be part of a published article on the main website.

Thread Topic: Alge Crumpler, TE, Tennessee Titans

Player Page Link: Alge Crumpler Player Page

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Consensus Member ProjectionsThe Rules

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Focus commentary on the player in question, and your expectations for said player
Back up your expectations in whatever manner you deem appropriate; avoid posts that simply say "I hate him" or "He's the best"
To be included in the final synopsis and consensus outlook, you MUST provide projections for the playerProjections should include (at a minimum):

For QBs: Passing Yards, Passing TDs, Ints, Rush Yards, Rush TDs
For RBs: Rushes, Rushing Yards, Rush TDs, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs
For WRs & TEs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDsNow let's get on with the conversation! We look forward to your contributions and let me offer a personal thanks in anticipation of the great debate and analysis.

If Crumpler is healthy I think he can make a return to his former self. Getting away from Atlanta and onto a team that has playoff aspirations, has to be refreshing for Crumpler. Alge always made Vick look good and I imagine he can have a similar impact on Vince Young. Crumpler has not caught less than 42 balls since 2002. From 2002-2006, Crumpler ranked 8th, 5th, 4th, 5th, and 2nd in yearly point totals for the TE position. And this guy is being drafted outside the top10-15??? This represents tremendous value and I think a rejuvinated Alge Crumpler that is going ot make owners that pass on him sick to their stomachs like they were on passing Jason Witten last season.

56 rec, 700 yds, 5 TD

Alge Crumpler was miserable last season. He had easily the worst ypr average of his career (and that was inflated by a 55 yard reception week 17). Maybe that's because of his recovery from knee surgery or maybe it's because he's just lost his speed and is done.

Now he's going from a team that was pass-heavy (yet he wasn't very productive on) Falcons team to the Titans where the quarterback is poor. He should be the #1 option so that'll help some. At the age of 30 he isn't the youngest tight end out there either so his upside is limited.

There's no way that I'd rely on him as a starting tight end. If he falls far enough he might be worth drafting as a back-up tight end but since that most likely won't happen I probably wouldn't draft him this season.

Alge Crumpler is without a doubt a polarized player to predict. He is a rather short (6'-2") TE without a lot of speed, yet he had averaged over 13 yoc over his career until last yeat when he dropped to 10.6. He is moving teams so he will have to learn a new system. He also has a decent counterpart on the Titans, Bo Scaife who isn't that shabby. He joins a team that has a run run run history and a QB not known for good passing stats. But, he could be the top target on the team. Such a quandry. I guess that is why there have been so few projections.

His current ADP is TE 13 and 122 overall, but I like Daniels and Sheffler, the two just ahead of him and Olsen just behind much better for 08. I agree that he will likely not be on my team unless he falls well below his current ADP to serve as a back-up TE.

Alge Crumpler 75 targets 45 catches (60.0%) 495 yds 11.0 ypc and 4 TDs

Great bounce back candidate.

Lost weight, has a QB that cannot throw the ball more than 10 yards with accuracy and no WR to threaten him.

The division is decent, but not great at the LB spot and only Bob Sanders is a stud saftey to deal with.

70 catches 950 yards 9 TDs

He will be VY's second read near the goal line, VY's first will be running for a TD.

softball said:

Great bounce back candidate.

Lost weight, has a QB that cannot throw the ball more than 10 yards with accuracy and no WR to threaten him.

The division is decent, but not great at the LB spot and only Bob Sanders is a stud saftey to deal with.



70 catches 950 yards 9 TDs

He will be VY's second read near the goal line, VY's first will be running for a TD.

Click to expand...

Those are easily top-five TE numbers. I just don't think he's going to have his best season in years this year. Maybe that's just cause I cut him in my dynasty league though. I say

56 for 500 and 4

I'll have to keep on eye on his health and specifically his knee that he had problems with last year but he definitely has the potential to be a top TE. He goes to an offense where the QB can't throw downfield and has historically liked the short passing game to the TE's. He's a guy that you can probably get late (not sure what his ADP is) that has the potential to have a very nice year.

If he's healthy this year I could see 60-800-6 with a potential to do more....

Vince has always been about dumping it off to the backs and tight ends. Since arriving in Tennessee, he hasn't had a "good" one, now he has an all-pro calliber guy. Crumpler really excelled with a mobile QB in Vick, and there's no reason to expect that not to pick back up this year. The Titans have NOTHING at receiver, and they again left the draft without a highly regarded one--Crumpler has virtually no competition for passes. Fisher showed he'll utilize a talented TE when he had Frank Wycheck--who caught 60+ for 5 straight years.

60 Receptions

804 Yards

8 Tds

softball said:

Great bounce back candidate.Lost weight, has a QB that cannot throw the ball more than 10 yards with accuracy and no WR to threaten him.The division is decent, but not great at the LB spot and only Bob Sanders is a stud saftey to deal with.70 catches 950 yards 9 TDsHe will be VY's second read near the goal line, VY's first will be running for a TD.

Click to expand...

So you think he is going to have by far the best season of his career?

RC94 said:

softball said:

Great bounce back candidate.Lost weight, has a QB that cannot throw the ball more than 10 yards with accuracy and no WR to threaten him.The division is decent, but not great at the LB spot and only Bob Sanders is a stud saftey to deal with.70 catches 950 yards 9 TDsHe will be VY's second read near the goal line, VY's first will be running for a TD.

Click to expand...

So you think he is going to have by far the best season of his career?

Click to expand...

I think given the offense, especially the strengths of the QB, there's a very real possibility.

I like Crumpler to do well in Tenn, but not likely top 5 TE range.

50 receptios for 550 yards and 7 TD's.

I don't know how anyone can predict 950 yards and 9 TD'd for him when VY only had 9 passing TD's total last year. I think that number goes up, maybe even doubles, but its pretty optimistic to place Crumpler at 9 TD's or close to 1,000 yards (VY has not had a 1,000 yard receiver yet in the NFL) given the recent history in Tenn.

From OTA reports, Crumpler is seeing a lot of targets in the red zone in practices.

The last two off-seasons, Crumpler has struggled with rehabbing injuries that required surgery. If I'm not mistaken, this would be his first off-season witout having to do so in quite some time.

I think Crumpler's struggles these last couple of years can partly be contributed to that factor as he is an athlete that does have trouble making weight. When he is at his optimum playing weight, he is actually pretty fast for his size. That said, I thought for most of last year, he had gotten big and one of his primary advantages was neutralized. Coupled with his status as an Atlanta Falcon, hence awful playcalling from Petrino and Crumpler became a forgotten weapon for the most part.

I think Crumpler has one good season left in him. While he's been relatively healthy this off-season, his knees are an issue. Because of his size, tacklers have simply always gone after him low and the accumlation of those hits has taken it's toll. His hands are still good, but they used to be excellent. He'd catch anything thrown his way back in 2004. Now, he can still pick it, but there are more random drops of easy balls and he does not make the WR type catch nearly as frequently.

I think Young will like him and Crumpler obviously has experience in making himself open for the mobile QB. However, I'm not sold on Young and just because Vick loved Crumpler, does not necessariliy mean likewise here.I think the top end for Crumpler is low end TE starter but I suspect he won't get you much more than say a Donald Lee would anymore. Part of Crumpler's strength back when he was an elite TE was his YPC (In 2004 it was a unheard of - for a TE- 16.1). That speed he had though is gone and while Young is mobile, his improvisational talents are not in Vick's league. So I think Crumpler top end in that category is about a 12.

Prediction: 52 reception 601 Yards 6 TD's

Did he play last night? I saw a lot of Bo Scaife out there.