A Trip Down Memory Lane (1 Viewer)

[David Yudkin]

I found a copy of the 2001 Fantasy Football Pro Forecast while cleaning out a closet. Here were their preseason rankings. Funny how things change (while others stay the same) . . .

QB

1 Culpepper MIN

2 Warner STL

3 McNabb PHI

4 Garcia SF

5 Manning IND

6 Griese DEN

7 Favre GB

8 Rob Johnson BUF

9 Grbac BAL

10 McNair TEN

11 Gannon OAK

12 Green KC

13 Brad Johnson TB

14 Flutie SD

15 Couch CLE

16 Collins NYG

17 George WAS

18 Testaverde NYJ

19 Bledsoe NE

20 Brunell JAC

21 Plummer ARI

22 Blake NO

23 Fiedler MIA

24 Kitna CIN

25 Batch DET

26 Stewart PIT

27 Hasselbeck SEA

28 Weinke CAR

29 Cade McNown CHI

30 Chandler ATL

31 Brooks NO

32 Banks DAL

33 Vick ATL

34 King TB

35 Pennington NYJ

36 Lucas MIA

37 Lewis CAR

38 Brees SD

39 Akili Smith CIN

40 Frerotte DEN

RB

1 Faulk STL

2 James IND

3 George TEN

4 Dillon CIN

5 Taylor JAC

6 Martin NYJ

7 Davis WAS

8 Green GB

9 Williams NO

10 Anderson ATL

11 Stewart DET

12 Lamar Smith MIA

13 Lewis BAL

14 LT SD

15 Staley PHI

16 Dunn TB

17 Smith DAL

18 Wheatley OAK

19 Barber NYG

20 Pittman ARI

21 Davis DEN

22 James Allen CHI

23 Doug Chapman MIN

24 Biakabutuka CAR

25 Bettis PIT

26 Travis Prentice CLE

27 A-Train CHI

28 Shawn Bryson BUF

29 Richardson KC

30 Astott TB

31 Barlow SF

32 JR Redmond NE

33 Watters SEA

34 Alexander SEA

35 Bennett MIN

36 Garner OAK

37 Holmes KC

38 McAllister NO

39 Anderson DEN

40 Fletcher SD

WR

1 Moss MIN

2 Harrison IND

3 Owens SF

4 Smith DEN

5 Horn NO

6 Westbrook WAS

7 Holt STL

8 Bruce STL

9 Johnson TB

10 Moulds BUF

11 McCaffrey DEN

12 Carter MIN

13 Alexander KC

14 Boston ARI

15 Freeman GB

16 Brown OAK

17 Crowell DET

18 McCardell JAC

19 Chrebet NYJ

20 Taylor BAL

21 Warrick CIN

22 Toomer NYG

23 Robinson CHI

24 Scott CIN

25 Terrell CHI

26 Muhammad CAR

27 Galloway DAL

28 Glenn NE

29 Mason TEN

30 Gadsen MIA

31 Hilliard NYG

32 Stokley BAL

33 Johnson CLE

34 McKnight MIA

35 D-Jax SEA

36 Streets SF

37 Sly Morris KC

38 Brown NE

39 Conway SD

40 Jeffers CAR

TE

1 Gonzalez KC

2 Sharpe BAL

3 Jones SD

4 Wycheck TEN

5 Lewis PHI

6 Cleeland NO

7 Brady JAC

8 Dilger IND

9 Riemersma BUF

10 Alexander WAS

11 Pollard IND

12 Desmond Clark DEN

13 Dudley CLE

14 Walls CAR

15 Sloan DET

16 Harris DAL

17 Moore TB

18 Mili SEA

19 Kelly ATL

20 Clark SF

 

[FTRWRTR]

wow, LT as the #14 rb...a lot of ppl got some serious value that year.

BTW did grbac ever have more than one good season? I'm serious, I don't remember

 

[Wu-banger]

seems Holt, Moss, Owens, and Harrison have held up well.

 

[Fiddles]

priest down at 37

steal

 

[Riffraff]

For exercises like this, I remove the name of the player and see if the team position is still going strong. A lot of them are.

 

[encaitar]

For exercises like this, I remove the name of the player and see if the team position is still going strong. A lot of them are.

Excepting of course, the number one QB and number one WR. That team is anything but strong in those areas.

 

[The Shizzle]

Rob Johnson @ 8?

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

 

[3nOut]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

Yea, :sniff sniff:. He was my number 1 receiver and was a great payer for me. Its too bad for him.

 

[trader jake]

QB1 Culpepper MIN...WR1 Moss MIN

I guess we know which one made the other look good. Fast forward to today: will Tony Romo still have top 5 QB value once TO moves on or gets old? If Jerry Jones brings in another elite WR - yes, otherwise I'd hedge my bets with him being a stud 5 years from now. Just one example to throw out there.

 

[FUBAR]

QB

1 Culpepper MIN

...

WR

1 Moss MIN

I guess we know which one made the other look good. Fast forward to today: will Tony Romo still have top 5 QB value once TO moves on or gets old? If Jerry Jones brings in another elite WR - yes, otherwise I'd hedge my bets with him being a stud 5 years from now. Just one example to throw out there.

CPep doesn't have a job, but it's not like Moss has a bad QB or team. He wasn't all that in Oakland.

 

[trader jake]

QB

1 Culpepper MIN

...

WR

1 Moss MIN

I guess we know which one made the other look good. Fast forward to today: will Tony Romo still have top 5 QB value once TO moves on or gets old? If Jerry Jones brings in another elite WR - yes, otherwise I'd hedge my bets with him being a stud 5 years from now. Just one example to throw out there.

CPep doesn't have a job, but it's not like Moss has a bad QB or team. He wasn't all that in Oakland.

Fair point but neither was Culpepper. All that proves is that Oakland has been an offensive wasteland due to piss poor ownership and mismanagement over the past few years. Moss is an elite WR, CPep is a big guy with a live arm but a 10 cent head.

 

[FUBAR]

QB

1 Culpepper MIN

...

WR

1 Moss MIN

I guess we know which one made the other look good. Fast forward to today: will Tony Romo still have top 5 QB value once TO moves on or gets old? If Jerry Jones brings in another elite WR - yes, otherwise I'd hedge my bets with him being a stud 5 years from now. Just one example to throw out there.

CPep doesn't have a job, but it's not like Moss has a bad QB or team. He wasn't all that in Oakland.

Fair point but neither was Culpepper. All that proves is that Oakland has been an offensive wasteland due to piss poor ownership and mismanagement over the past few years. Moss is an elite WR, CPep is a big guy with a live arm but a 10 cent head.

I'm not arguing with you, just saying even elite WRs need good QBs. Culpepper was never as good as he was in Minnesota (BTW, he did alright without Moss there for a little while), but I have yet to see Moss perform at an elite level without a competent QB.

 

[trader jake]

I'm not arguing with you, just saying even elite WRs need good QBs. Culpepper was never as good as he was in Minnesota (BTW, he did alright without Moss there for a little while), but I have yet to see Moss perform at an elite level without a competent QB.

Interesting angle. I know Steve Smith owners would agree with you.

 

[az_prof]

The lesson is that WRs have by far the most staying power of any position. In terms of QBs, almost none of the younger generation QBs from that period are still around except for Brees and McNabb.

 

[FUBAR]

The lesson is that WRs have by far the most staying power of any position. In terms of QBs, almost none of the younger generation QBs from that period are still around except for Brees and McNabb.

There are a few top notch QBs who were young then, but Brady, Bulger, and Hasselbeck hadn't broken out yet.

 

[SproutDaddy]

wow, LT as the #14 rb...a lot of ppl got some serious value that year.BTW did grbac ever have more than one good season? I'm serious, I don't remember

He didn't have an outstanding rookie season, so unless your talking about dynasty he was no value pick.

 

[David Yudkin]

wow, LT as the #14 rb...a lot of ppl got some serious value that year.BTW did grbac ever have more than one good season? I'm serious, I don't remember

He didn't have an outstanding rookie season, so unless your talking about dynasty he was no value pick.

These were rankings BEFORE Tomlinson's rookie season . . . so he was ranked 14th before ever taking a snap.

 

[fatness]

QB17 George WAS

He's tanned, rested, and ready in 2008.

 

[SproutDaddy]

wow, LT as the #14 rb...a lot of ppl got some serious value that year.BTW did grbac ever have more than one good season? I'm serious, I don't remember

He didn't have an outstanding rookie season, so unless your talking about dynasty he was no value pick.

These were rankings BEFORE Tomlinson's rookie season . . . so he was ranked 14th before ever taking a snap.

I got that part, but I still don't see the value there. That was the first year I played FF, and I owned him. Picking at 10 he was my 3rd round pick and my rb1 unfortunately. I still made the playoffs. He did have a decent but not great year.

 

[Banger]

These are from the FBG archives I believe prior to the '06 season. Look how much things have changed in just a few seasons.

1 Larry Johnson KC

2 LaDainian Tomlinson SD

3 Shaun Alexander SEA

4 Rudi Johnson CIN

5 Ronnie Brown MIA

6 Steven Jackson STL

7 Willie Parker PIT

8 LaMont Jordan OAK

9 Cadillac Williams TB

10 Willis McGahee BAL

11 Edgerrin James ARI

12 Clinton Portis WAS

13 Brian Westbrook PHI

14 Reggie Bush NO

15 Warrick Dunn ATL

16 Reuben Droughns NYG

17 DeShaun Foster CAR

18 Kevin Jones DET

19 Julius Jones DAL

20 Frank Gore SF

 

[yellowdog]

Link to FBG rankings from 8/13/01.

 

[redman]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

You'll forgive me for not having fond memories of Jeffers who, as a late-season waiver wire pickup, beat me almost singlehandedly in the '99 championship game in week 16 with a 5/160/2 performance. In a non-PPR format, that is huge.

 

[Despyzer]

TE

1 Gonzalez KC

2 Sharpe BAL

3 Jones SD

4 Wycheck TEN

5 Lewis PHI

6 Cleeland NO

7 Brady JAC

8 Dilger IND

9 Riemersma BUF

10 Alexander WAS

11 Pollard IND

12 Desmond Clark DEN

13 Dudley CLE

14 Walls CAR

15 Sloan DET

16 Harris DAL

17 Moore TB

18 Mili SEA

19 Kelly ATL

20 Clark SF

Is this Freddie Jones? If so, I can't imagine that even homer-blind Chargers fans could have thought he was the third-best TE in the league that year.

 

[Fullback Fro]

We beat James Allen's team in Winnewood to go to win state in OK 3A Football. He rushed for like 200 yrds but we still won the game. I even tackled him about 5 times.

 

[FUBAR]

TE

1 Gonzalez KC

2 Sharpe BAL

3 Jones SD

4 Wycheck TEN

5 Lewis PHI

6 Cleeland NO

7 Brady JAC

8 Dilger IND

9 Riemersma BUF

10 Alexander WAS

11 Pollard IND

12 Desmond Clark DEN

13 Dudley CLE

14 Walls CAR

15 Sloan DET

16 Harris DAL

17 Moore TB

18 Mili SEA

19 Kelly ATL

20 Clark SF

Is this Freddie Jones? If so, I can't imagine that even homer-blind Chargers fans could have thought he was the third-best TE in the league that year.

Keep in mind, this is back in the days on 2 stud TEs and a bunch of fill-ins. Wychek was a great player, but never a FF stud.

 

[AussieOyOyOy]

We beat James Allen's team in Winnewood to go to win state in OK 3A Football. He rushed for like 200 yrds but we still won the game. I even tackled him about 5 times.

Wynnewood is 2A. If your team won the 3A title, you could have only played against him in the regular season.

 

[redman]

We beat James Allen's team in Winnewood to go to win state in OK 3A Football. He rushed for like 200 yrds but we still won the game. I even tackled him about 5 times.

Wynnewood is 2A. If your team won the 3A title, you could have only played against him in the regular season.

:X

 

[Fullback Fro]

We beat James Allen's team in Winnewood to go to win state in OK 3A Football. He rushed for like 200 yrds but we still won the game. I even tackled him about 5 times.

Wynnewood is 2A. If your team won the 3A title, you could have only played against him in the regular season.

My schools was 2a at the time. We are now 3A. Cascia Hall - Check it out

 

[cstu]

wow, LT as the #14 rb...a lot of ppl got some serious value that year.BTW did grbac ever have more than one good season? I'm serious, I don't remember

How about Alexander at #34 and Holmes at #37? I believe SA was the #1 RB the rest of the season once he took over.

 

[cstu]

TE

1 Gonzalez KC

2 Sharpe BAL

3 Jones SD

4 Wycheck TEN

5 Lewis PHI

6 Cleeland NO

7 Brady JAC

8 Dilger IND

9 Riemersma BUF

10 Alexander WAS

11 Pollard IND

12 Desmond Clark DEN

13 Dudley CLE

14 Walls CAR

15 Sloan DET

16 Harris DAL

17 Moore TB

18 Mili SEA

19 Kelly ATL

20 Clark SF

Is this Freddie Jones? If so, I can't imagine that even homer-blind Chargers fans could have thought he was the third-best TE in the league that year.

Keep in mind, this is back in the days on 2 stud TEs and a bunch of fill-ins. Wychek was a great player, but never a FF stud.

People were expecting Freddie Jones to breakout in 2001 but LT came in and caught a lot of passes.TE's in those days were worthless if you didn't get Gonzalez or Sharpe.

 

[TheFanatic]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

I was thinking the exact same thing. This guy sucked!!

 

[Kevin Ashcraft]

LOL @ Tony Richardson ranked ahead of Priest.......

But that was not incorrect. That was Vermeil's 1st season and he had said T-Rich was his guy, for week 1 at least.

 

[DoubleG]

We beat James Allen's team in Winnewood to go to win state in OK 3A Football. He rushed for like 200 yrds but we still won the game. I even tackled him about 5 times.

Does it count as a tackle if you touch him on the sidelines after he ran out of bounds? You know, right before you handed him his Gatorade. :( j/k fro.

 

[Weiner Dog]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

Is the Westbrook ranking an error?? The guy was not Top-10 material at any time leading up to the '01 campaign.link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3131/career

1995 Washington 34 522 47.5 15.4 1

1996 Washington 34 505 45.9 14.9 1

1997 Washington 34 559 43.0 16.4 3

1998 Washington 44 736 66.9 16.7 6

1999 Washington 65 1191 74.4 18.3 9

2000 Washington 9 103 51.5 11.4 7

 

[stbugs]

wow, Michael Westbrook was that high in the WR rankings at onepoint(still a elite thug tho). what a shame that Patrick Jeffers career was extremely shortened due to injury

Is the Westbrook ranking an error?? The guy was not Top-10 material at any time leading up to the '01 campaign.link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3131/career

1995 Washington 34 522 47.5 15.4 1

1996 Washington 34 505 45.9 14.9 1

1997 Washington 34 559 43.0 16.4 3

1998 Washington 44 736 66.9 16.7 6

1999 Washington 65 1191 74.4 18.3 9

2000 Washington 9 103 51.5 11.4 7

Umm, at FBGs, he was #9 in 1999 and only played 2 games in 2000. It is definitely an optimistic ranking, but if healthy again maybe in 2001 you expected another 1999. A bunch of guys fell off the 1999 list as well, but I didn't look closely at the 2000 list. In 1999 he was a good WR and it looked like he had become a top 10 WR after a decent 3rd year.