D. Ward resigns with Giants---1 yr deal (1 Viewer)

[gianmarco]

John Clayton, of ESPN, reports the New York Giants agreed to terms with free-agent RB Derrick Ward (Giants) to a one-year deal Friday, March 14. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Seems like this might put Bradshaw on the shelf for another year. I think it also buys Jacobs one more year to show his stuff on the field.

 

[Ray Pollett]

John Clayton, of ESPN, reports the New York Giants agreed to terms with free-agent RB Derrick Ward (Giants) to a one-year deal Friday, March 14. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Seems like this might put Bradshaw on the shelf for another year. I think it also buys Jacobs one more year to show his stuff on the field.

1 year for 1.1 mil

 

[jwb]

I disagree - I still think Bradshaw is the RB2 (and will likely become 1a.) They seem sold on a multi-back attack, and I'm pretty sure you can count on Bradshaw getting (at least) 10 touches a game next year. He can play - that's apparant. I know some think many of us are too high on him, but watching him play, the guy has "star" written all over him.

Jacobs had an "injury concern" vibe here last year when named the starter, and did nothing to dispel those notions, getting hurt a few times. Ward is cheap insurance, and little more (IMHO)

 

[Riffraff]

Ward gets injured pretty easily too. Good back-up insurance for Jacobs. Little impact on Bradshaw's potential. It's only a 1 year deal.

 

[vandyt]

John Clayton, of ESPN, reports the New York Giants agreed to terms with free-agent RB Derrick Ward (Giants) to a one-year deal Friday, March 14. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Seems like this might put Bradshaw on the shelf for another year. I think it also buys Jacobs one more year to show his stuff on the field.

He'll be lucky to even be active on gamedays. Contract was barely above veteran minimum.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

 

[madd futher]

I love it. I do not have Bradshaw in either one of my dynasty/deep keeper leagues, and he is non rostered in both. so he is available for the rookie/supplemental draft. My picks are 1.06 and 1.09 respectively. I expected (hoped) to have a shot at him in the league with the 1.06 pick, but diodnt have too much hope he would be available at 1.09.

With the Ward signing, he will likely slip at least to 1.09, especially since many in my leagues kind of quit 'paying attention' after the fantasy season is over, and dindt pay attention to how good he was when he got his real chance doring the playoffs. I TOTALLY agree with JWB that he is a stud in the making.

If anything, the Ward signing should allow the 'sharks' to pick him up even cheaper than we ever expected to be able to.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

I love it. I do not have Bradshaw in either one of my dynasty/deep keeper leagues, and he is non rostered in both. so he is available for the rookie/supplemental draft. My picks are 1.06 and 1.09 respectively. I expected (hoped) to have a shot at him in the league with the 1.06 pick, but diodnt have too much hope he would be available at 1.09.

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how this news would impact your draft plans.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

I compared Houston's situation in our thread with New York's in the respect that you've got 3 guys there, and none of them appear to be the most durable (to be fair, I cannot comment on Bradshaw because all I saw of him was at the end of last season and never really paid any attention to him before that). I like the Ward signing (just like I like the Brown signing) because it gives them another guy who has had a little bit of success. Odds are all 3 backs are going to play an important role at different times this season, and they've just increased the likelihood that they'll have available at least one or two solid backs each week. Not a bad approach if you don't have an Adrian Peterson or LT2...

Good for the Giants, bad for fantasy...

 

[madd futher]

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how this news would impact your draft plans.

Since I don't play under 'madd futher mucker' in either league, i don't quite know how you knew it was really me. on the other hand, since 'Michael J. Fox' does not play in either of the leagues either, how do i know this is really you?But i guess it doesn't really matter, because you can't stop me anyway, you can only hope to contain me a little.

 

[Bri]

Initially he was refusing the 1 year 1.5 mil deal and looking elsewhere. I guess the interest in him wasn't as much as expected. GM Reese played this hand perfectly and it seems Ward lost some coin "playing the field".

 

[MAC_32]

He'll be a fine backup to Jacobs, but I do not see this move impacting Brandshaw's playing time. Ward is a lot closer in style to Jacobs than he is to Bradshaw.

 

[cstu]

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how this news would impact your draft plans.

Since I don't play under 'madd futher mucker' in either league, i don't quite know how you knew it was really me. on the other hand, since 'Michael J. Fox' does not play in either of the leagues either, how do i know this is really you?But i guess it doesn't really matter, because you can't stop me anyway, you can only hope to contain me a little.

 

[teamroc]

I love it. I do not have Bradshaw in either one of my dynasty/deep keeper leagues, and he is non rostered in both. so he is available for the rookie/supplemental draft. My picks are 1.06 and 1.09 respectively. I expected (hoped) to have a shot at him in the league with the 1.06 pick, but diodnt have too much hope he would be available at 1.09. With the Ward signing, he will likely slip at least to 1.09, especially since many in my leagues kind of quit 'paying attention' after the fantasy season is over, and dindt pay attention to how good he was when he got his real chance doring the playoffs. I TOTALLY agree with JWB that he is a stud in the making.If anything, the Ward signing should allow the 'sharks' to pick him up even cheaper than we ever expected to be able to.

Uh a "shark" would have had him rostered 10 months ago (like half this forum). Or if you didn't get him after he was drafted, maybe after Jacobs was hurt? Or maybe after Ward was hurt? Exactly how many "pickup this guy" warning flags do you need? *lol*And any league where AB is on the WW, isn't full of sharks. Or much of a dynasty league (6 teams 14 roster spots?). What's with all the 3rd person "I'm a shark" posts lately? A shark would do this. A shark would have done that. I'm going to draft this guy, it's a shark move. Who goes around calling themselves a shark?You're on FBGs in the offseason, you're a mega huge killer hammerhead laser mounted uber shark. We get it. Thanks for letting us know all your "shark moves", just keep out the "shark" references. We're already impressed you're going to jump on AB 10 months after he was drafted in a dynasty league.

 

[BoltBacker]

If he was going to sign for that little I'm shocked he didn't at least wait until after the draft. What did he have to lose? There are a lot of NFL teams with very bad backfields right now.

 

[Liquid Tension]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

I agree! This was an inexpensive signing for a guy who runs the ball well. He showed worse hands than Jacobs though. Either way, the Giants have 3 very capable guys and that was accomplished with a good value signing.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

 

[H.K.]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

 

[rzrback77]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

Julius Jones and Kevin Jones (sort of)I also think that Ward will be givcen an opportunity to back-up to Jacobs, with all three playing roles for the Giants. Has anybody else noticed too many reactions by Bradshaw after plays, geeting in tackler's faces and jawing?

 

[bigmurd]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

Julius Jones and Kevin Jones (sort of)I also think that Ward will be givcen an opportunity to back-up to Jacobs, with all three playing roles for the Giants. Has anybody else noticed too many reactions by Bradshaw after plays, geeting in tackler's faces and jawing?

Since when is getting cut moving?And JJ was not wanted in Dallas anymore.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

Julius Jones and Kevin Jones (sort of)I also think that Ward will be givcen an opportunity to back-up to Jacobs, with all three playing roles for the Giants. Has anybody else noticed too many reactions by Bradshaw after plays, geeting in tackler's faces and jawing?

Good point about JJ, slipped my mind. But you see the RB market is terrible with everyone eying the rookies come April.

 

[Liquid Tension]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

End of discussion if you don't know what you are talking about. The problem with strictly facts only is that you eliminate some very important factors that should be part of a conclusion if you want to get the closest you can to a good answer. At least if you didn't talk in absolute terms you might have some wiggle room...saying Ward is far better than Jacobs is simply ignorant. Read Below:My friend and I reviewed EVERY single Giant play this year and one of the items we focused on was the weakness of Eli on short passes when he checks down (on top of the poor receiving backfield he has). I am not sure what the definition of drops are, but Ward dropped more EASY passes (as we classified them) then Jacobs. Jacobs must have been charged with some drops where Eli threw the ball at his feet because after watching EVERY single throw and it was about 80 between them, we each said that Ward dropped more easy ones and Jacobs made the tougher catches (actually showed surprisingly good hands a couple times). Ward did a better job at the more routine, but not easy catches. We both thought Jacobs was SLIGHTLY better overall (and this surprised us as we went in thinking that Jacobs needed to be much better than the other RB's). The truth is both were poor, but Jacobs showed more upside if you had to predict Either way, saying either one is clearly better is wrong. Here are their stats from football guys. While 8 drops might have been wrong, Jacobs did have more drops than he should have.

Targets	Receptions	Yards	YPC	TD'sWard	40		 26	   179	 6.9	 1Jacobs	38	   23	   174	 7.6	 2

 

[az_prof]

This will hurt the apparent value of both Jacobs and Bradshaw, because it means the path to playing time will be more challenging. Long term, real value, it won't make a difference especially since this is only a one year contract. I do think it means that you can't count on Bradshaw as even a flex option this year. He may get a chance to start a few games and/or he may have a few games where he puts up good numbers as the RB2, but I don't think we can count on him with three bodies there at RB all very capable.

 

[Donnybrook]

Derrick Ward on a 1 year 1.1 M contract would have been a perfect signing for the Lions or Bears IMO. He would have been good insurance in case this years rookie back doesn't perform like they expect.

 

[H.K.]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.

Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.

Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

I am not sure what the definition of drops are

I suggest getting a better handle on this before stating the stats the NFL uses are wrong.HTH

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.

Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.

Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

I am not sure what the definition of drops are

I suggest getting a better handle on this before stating the stats the NFL uses are wrong.HTH

C'mon ladies, do we have to re-live this debate again?

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

Julius Jones and Kevin Jones (sort of)I also think that Ward will be givcen an opportunity to back-up to Jacobs, with all three playing roles for the Giants. Has anybody else noticed too many reactions by Bradshaw after plays, geeting in tackler's faces and jawing?

Good point about JJ, slipped my mind. But you see the RB market is terrible with everyone eying the rookies come April.

Chris Brown?So basically, it seems like most in this thread are saying that Ward is the #3 RB, and Bradshaw continues to split carries (maybe 60/40 split?) with Jacobs. No?

 

[Liquid Tension]

great move for the gints. Surprised he didnt more play in the FA market. Ward showed he was more than capable last year, but I do think the plan going in will be similar to what we saw in the playoffs, with Ward waiting in the wings if Jacobs or Bradshaw get dinged, and taking a few snaps a game.

Aside from Turner, who really moved as a RB FA this offseason?Plus Ward had shown some talent in a few games but is now injured. Another team isn't going to sign him as a starter, so the best deal certainly was going to come from NY. A one-year deal affords him a chance to (A) surpass the pseudo-phenom Bradshaw in TC and (B) probably directly backup Jacobs since Ward plays more like him than AB. If BJacobs goes down, odds are that Ward would step him and AB's role would increase - if Ward didn't put up 100+ a week. Ward's best chance at a big deal would be to play hard and hope that Jacobs doesn't hold up (again).

Julius Jones and Kevin Jones (sort of)I also think that Ward will be givcen an opportunity to back-up to Jacobs, with all three playing roles for the Giants. Has anybody else noticed too many reactions by Bradshaw after plays, geeting in tackler's faces and jawing?

Good point about JJ, slipped my mind. But you see the RB market is terrible with everyone eying the rookies come April.

Chris Brown?So basically, it seems like most in this thread are saying that Ward is the #3 RB, and Bradshaw continues to split carries (maybe 60/40 split?) with Jacobs. No?

It is really hard to know for sure, but it is not good for fantasy. Ward is good enough to keep everyone fresh, but I think the Jacobs Bradshaw situation will be based on the team they are playing andteh flow of teh game. The Giants can attack in many ways on teh ground now. If I had my choice I would take Jacobs because he is most likely to get the most TD's.

Anybody know about the linebacker, Clark, the Giants signed? I haven't been able to see much on this guy.

 

[Biabreakable]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

End of discussion if you don't know what you are talking about. The problem with strictly facts only is that you eliminate some very important factors that should be part of a conclusion if you want to get the closest you can to a good answer. At least if you didn't talk in absolute terms you might have some wiggle room...saying Ward is far better than Jacobs is simply ignorant. Read Below:My friend and I reviewed EVERY single Giant play this year and one of the items we focused on was the weakness of Eli on short passes when he checks down (on top of the poor receiving backfield he has). I am not sure what the definition of drops are, but Ward dropped more EASY passes (as we classified them) then Jacobs. Jacobs must have been charged with some drops where Eli threw the ball at his feet because after watching EVERY single throw and it was about 80 between them, we each said that Ward dropped more easy ones and Jacobs made the tougher catches (actually showed surprisingly good hands a couple times). Ward did a better job at the more routine, but not easy catches. We both thought Jacobs was SLIGHTLY better overall (and this surprised us as we went in thinking that Jacobs needed to be much better than the other RB's). The truth is both were poor, but Jacobs showed more upside if you had to predict Either way, saying either one is clearly better is wrong. Here are their stats from football guys. While 8 drops might have been wrong, Jacobs did have more drops than he should have.

Targets	Receptions	Yards	YPC	TD'sWard	40		 26	   179	 6.9	 1Jacobs	38	   23	   174	 7.6	 2

When Bradshaw is in the backfield this becomes a non-issue. He is a very capable reciever as well as an outstanding blocker in pass protection. I hope since you were watching so many plays that you noticed this? It was very obvious to me in the playoffs.Bradshaw is a complete RB. I do not think Jacobs or Ward are. Both get easily injured as well. It is an effective strategy of the Giants to use the larger backs to use physics and punish the defense and Jacobs especially fills that role. However Bradshaw is the most effective player for them on any down/distance situation. That means he will play more as time goes on and talent rises to the top. I have recieved strong offers for Bradshaw this offseason. I am holding him.

 

[H.K.]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.

Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.

Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

I am not sure what the definition of drops are

I suggest getting a better handle on this before stating the stats the NFL uses are wrong.HTH

C'mon ladies, do we have to re-live this debate again?

linkRank Player Team Drops

1t Dallas Clark Ind 12

1t Braylon Edwards Cle 12

3t Reggie Bush NO 10

3t Devery Henderson NO 10

3t Santana Moss Was 10

3t Terrell Owens Dal 10

7t Randy Moss NE 9

7t Brian Westbrook Phi 9

9t Brandon Jacobs NYG 8

9t Brandon Marshall Den 8

9t Shaun McDonald Det 8

9t Steve Smith Car 8

9t Kellen Winslow Cle 8

There is no "debate" when actual numbers are used from an unbiased source. Not only did Jacobs drop the most passes on his team, he was one of the worst offenders in the entire league. Considering Jacobs' ridiculously low amount of targets he had compared to others on the list, its damning evidence of his ability. The facts will always overrule subjective opinion.

 

[KoolKat]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.

Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.

Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

I am not sure what the definition of drops are

I suggest getting a better handle on this before stating the stats the NFL uses are wrong.HTH

C'mon ladies, do we have to re-live this debate again?

linkRank Player Team Drops

1t Dallas Clark Ind 12

1t Braylon Edwards Cle 12

3t Reggie Bush NO 10

3t Devery Henderson NO 10

3t Santana Moss Was 10

3t Terrell Owens Dal 10

7t Randy Moss NE 9

7t Brian Westbrook Phi 9

9t Brandon Jacobs NYG 8

9t Brandon Marshall Den 8

9t Shaun McDonald Det 8

9t Steve Smith Car 8

9t Kellen Winslow Cle 8

There is no "debate" when actual numbers are used from an unbiased source. Not only did Jacobs drop the most passes on his team, he was one of the worst offenders in the entire league. Considering Jacobs' ridiculously low amount of targets he had compared to others on the list, its damning evidence of his ability. The facts will always overrule subjective opinion.

 

[Boone22]

He showed worse hands than Jacobs though.

Facts only, please.

Jacobs was the overwhelming leader of the Giants in dropped passes/target. He had over a 21% drop rate (38 targets and 8 drops). While Ward was the team leader in receptions per target (65%) among RB's.

Ward is a far better receiver than Jacobs. End of discussion.

I am not sure what the definition of drops are

I suggest getting a better handle on this before stating the stats the NFL uses are wrong.HTH

C'mon ladies, do we have to re-live this debate again?

linkRank Player Team Drops

1t Dallas Clark Ind 12

1t Braylon Edwards Cle 12

3t Reggie Bush NO 10

3t Devery Henderson NO 10

3t Santana Moss Was 10

3t Terrell Owens Dal 10

7t Randy Moss NE 9

7t Brian Westbrook Phi 9

9t Brandon Jacobs NYG 8

9t Brandon Marshall Den 8

9t Shaun McDonald Det 8

9t Steve Smith Car 8

9t Kellen Winslow Cle 8

There is no "debate" when actual numbers are used from an unbiased source. Not only did Jacobs drop the most passes on his team, he was one of the worst offenders in the entire league. Considering Jacobs' ridiculously low amount of targets he had compared to others on the list, its damning evidence of his ability. The facts will always overrule subjective opinion.

The sad thing about this is that if you look at the rest of the players on that list they are all either WRs or RBs who catch a ton of passes. Jacobs rarely gets the ball thrown to him and he still dropped 8.