4.04 Drew Brees, NO, QB3, Bye-4
9.13 Jeff Garcia, TB, QB27, Bye-10
Brees is solid, no doubt, even if his production comes back to earth, he should put up good numbers. Garcia could be a big fat ? if Simms somehow grabs that starting job. I think he’ll win the job and cover that week 4 bye – but I waited a bit long for my back up and went to other positions - Garcia felt like the best bet to me for the choices I had. Thought about Huard, but I think Garcia – if Cj ends up there especially – could do very well.
Good starter, ok backup –B-
1.13 Clinton Portis, WAS, RB12, Bye-4
2.04 Edgerrin James, ARI, RB17, Bye-8
8.04 DeShaun Foster, CAR, RB41, Bye-7
10.04 Anthony Thomas, BUF, RB49, Bye-6
20.04 T.J. Duckett, DET, RB73, Bye-6
Almost went with Henry (did in fact, then had a chance to rethink it – always dangerous – due to a mix up). That may be a pick I question the whole contest. But I think Portis will be a good #1 and I don’t fear Betts all that much. The big threat to James – as MOP pointed out early on I believe – is AP. If he ends up in the Desert I might be hurting. If not, I think Edge has a bounce back season and could put up 15 – 20 RB numbers and if I wish hard enough on a star, maybe more. Foster should still get some good carries if he stays healthy and put up OK numbers, maybe a big game once or twice. I expect A-Train to split carries at best – maybe a little more if I get lucky – but again, for who was around, I felt he could have value. Duckett is a huge ? but could do what he did in ATL, in DET. If he can hawk some TDs from Bell (of Jones) he might be good for a few good games.
Good two starters, ok #3, big ??’s for 4/5 –B-
3.13 Javon Walker, DEN, WR15, Bye-6
6.04 Mike Furrey, DET, WR29Bye-6
7.13 Muhsin Muhammad, CHI, WR41, Bye-9
11.13 Sinorice Moss, NYG, WR67, Bye-9
12.04 Bryant Johnson, ARI, WR70, Bye-8
17.13 Tab Perry, CIN, WR91, Bye-5
19.13 Jeff Webb, KC, WR98, Bye-8
Was very pleased to get Walker – I really think people are underrating him and he’ll put up good (though not necessarily studly) #1 points. Mike Furrey is a little bit of a risk from the standpoint that we only have one season to examine – but I really liked what I saw last year from him and think he’s a solid #2 most weeks. Muhammad is fading, but is – right now – the #1 in that offense. I wouldn’t be shocked if that changed and he found himself option #2 behind Berrian – but he should still be OK for some decent numbers here and there. At the time of the pick, a bunch of players I liked had gone, so as before, I went with what looked like good value compared to the players around him. And if he holds the #1 for one more year, all the better.
I don’t know what will happen with Toomer – he’s got issues and every year it seems like he’s done. Last year he was very much not done. But at some point they need to see what Sinorice Moss can do – and the Giants have said they want Moss more involved. Could do some damage across from Plax if he gets the chance.
And then the bye weeks hit. Having the week 6 pair and week 9 pair blows giant monkey balls, but what can you do? It then became a challenge to pick up players who might perform here and there and fill in. Most of the solid WRs had long gone. So I started grabbing upside. And you jerks kept grabbing my upside before I did.
Johnson can put up the occasional big game, even with Boldin and Fitz around. Tab Perry has shown brief flashes – it was him or Chatman and I went with Perry, as Chatman was banged up a lot last year IIRC. It’s a flip of the coin but Bengal WR#3 puts up points at times. And I’ve been hearing on the blogger and elsewhere that Webb is going to get a chance to be more involved in KC – Kennison is good but not great and Parker and Hall have had there shot. Webb impressed enough to hang around last year and they like him. But who knows what that offence will be like with Huard/Croyle and Herm ‘I have a plan’ Edwards…
Good start, questionable depth – B-/C+
5.12 Cris Cooley, WAS, TE10, Bye-4
14.04 Marcus Pollard, SEA, TE24, Bye-8
Cooley catches a lot of balls and will continue to do so. Since a grip of top TEs went off the board before I got there, I just kept hoping Cooley would hang around long enough to make it to me. He’ll be a good, not great starter – like I said, I would love the 71 catches in 2005, but will be happy with another 57 or so and 700+ yards from 2006. Pollard – well I needed a second TE – Pollard should fit in Ok with the Seattle O, but will he get a lot of targets with the talent there? I dunno, but here’s hoping he does more there than he did in DET.
Meh – they could be worse and they both start – C+/B-
16.04 John Kasay, CAR, K10, Bye-7
18.04 Mike Nugent, NYJ, K16, Bye-10
Kasay always puts up good points. He’s dependable and that’s what I wanted in my #1 kicker. Nugent came on last year and should be consistent as well. I mighta been able to grab something else in his place though, btu I didn’t want to reach too far for a fill in later. If I HAPPEN to make it to week 7, I didn’t want to depend on someone I wasn’t solid on.
Solid kickers, but no golden legs here - B
13.13 Cincinnati Bengals, DST8, Bye-5
15.13 Miami Dolphins, DST14, Bye-9
The Bengals put up good points, but can be streaky – I like the turnover ratio. Miami did ok last year defensively and I think will continue to improve this year, but not enough to where I would have taken them earlier. I guess I could have waited a bit on them, or maybe I should say I SHOULD have, but that’s neither here nor there.
Neither team will lift me to the heights of greatness on most weeks, but neither will they kill me either.
B-
Overall, I think, for my first one of these and picking out of the 13 slot – not a bad team. If things fall right, I could last a while – but it’s a shaky house of cards and if AP goers to AZ, or Portis gets hurt or Garcia loses the job too early (you get the idea) -- I could be out.
I have a good crop of starters – but God help me if anything goes wrong. I have depth but I don’t know whether some of it is worth anything.
For the slot, I think it went pretty well and while it could lack in depth, I have a decent starting squad.
Still, I ain’t kidding myself I don’t think – and while I like the potential, I can’t go higher overall than a B-.
And I freely admit that might even be biased. (and I know you'll tell me so.... )
Again, thanks for everyone who put it together and everyone else for participating. It's been a great challenge and I will enjoy seeing how this all breaks out.
I had a blast.
(I'll try to make time to go over other people's teams thouroughly but might settle forcomemnting on other people's comemnts.)
.
From 1993 to 2003, first round QBsGood Qbs: Drew Bledsoe, K. Collins, S. McNair, P. Manning, Culpepper, Pennington, M. Vick, C. Palmer, B. Leftwich, R. GrossmanBusts: Rick Mirer, Heath Shuler, Trent Dilfer, J. Druckenmiller, R. Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, D. Carr, C. McNown, J. Harrington, P. Ramsey, K. Boller10 Good QBs, and 12 bad ones. So there's probably about a 50% chance Russell is a bust and never develops into a decent QB and Im being generous as Collins, Leftwich, and, Grossman arent the greatest QBs in the world. Then you have to figure if he will be a good QB, what are the odds of him having a good year as a rookie? I would say somewhere between slim and none.Busting on your backup QB in this format will really cost you, should have taken a better QB2, or atleast a safer one.
Well I just dont think the risk met the reward at that spot, I think I would have rather had someone a little safer at that pick.
After a series of little digs by ruffrody and some more digs via pm, I challenge ruffrody to a sig bet, the bet includes who survives and total points, you taking it rr? You should after all Im going without my #5 wr
team be left standing 
