L.Evans, S.Moss, MaClayton, D.Branch, Reg.Brown, Fitz... (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

Lee Evans: Had a terrible game against a tough secondary last week. Take a look at the Buffalo schedule because i don't think Evans is going to be a great play in the 1st half of the season...I know he will have some moments but I think owners are going to get really frustrated with this guy however he has an awful sweet schedule at the tail end of the season. I think the Shark play here is to watch him dwindle and then pounce on him in a few weeks maybe longer. Although in redrafts I bet you could grab him this week for a lot less than you think...especially if you play up his tough schedule.

@Pitt, @NE, NYJ, DAL, bye...he has 2 more pretty tough match ups.

after the bye...BAL, @NYJ, CIN, @Mia, NE, @Jax, @Was, up and down here.

Playoff weeks...MIA, @Cle, NYG...those look pretty nice.

Let the owner suffer another week or two and then go and vulture him away. We know he has mad skills.

Santana Moss: Can Randel El keep racking 160 yds a week? NO! And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more. I expect S.Moss to bounce back hard over the next couple of weeks. Owners should be looking at this as a possible buying opp.

Mark Clayton: The news is not good here. He is injured, something the previous 2 WR do not share. His QB situation is OK but McNair is aging and isn't what he once was. I don't like Boller a lot either. A lot of people took Clayton as their WR2 in redrafts...not good right now. I would not be trying to reach out and grab this guy either as I am not sure you want to start him for the next several weeks.

Deion Branch: I just shake my head at this. How in the world does he not catch a pass in a game where DJ Hackett has to leave...how can he not be more involved? Branch has done this before with ghost weeks in NE. I would be interested to hear what other people think about him moving forward.

Reggie Brown: I never trusted him as much more than a WR3 anyways but he was nowhere to be found in GB.

Larry Fitzgerald: One of the only topflight WR to come up empty this week. TO, Holt, Smith, Wayne, Harrison, CJ, CJ2, Roy, all the 2nd round WR were great this week except Fitz...buy low in redraft leagues, right?

 

[gkza]

Thanks for depressing me. I own Evans, Brown, and Clayton.

Backups: Brandon Marshall, Issaac Bruce, and (gulp) DJ Hackett.

 

[yesitsme]

Hey MoP,

I agree and disagree with you on Evans. You mention initially he's not a solid play the first 1/2 of the season but then at the tail end mention let him suffer for a couple more weeks. A couple more weeks is only after week 3, that's hardly the first half of the season. After that, he's got the Jets and Dallas.

You saw what Moss did did to the Jets and you saw what Plaxico did to the Cowboys.

I think Evans may struggle somewhat vs. Pittsburgh. It's hard to tell how good they are since Cleveland's passing game is horrible. I do agree it'll be a modest game by him though.

The game vs. New England probably will be modest at best...however, I'd rather have a receiver up against the Pats than a RB. Coles had 2 Td's vs. the Pats and although I wouldn't bank on that for Evans, I wouldn't be shocked if he went for 70 yards and a TD vs. them.

I'm still high on Evans. I don't think his schedule is all that tough. You've just went through the hardest game....if you targeted this guy and didn't get him in your draft because he was snaked out just before your pick, go after him now.

 

[BeachBums]

Larry Fitzgerald: One of the only topflight WR to come up empty this week. TO, Holt, Smith, Wayne, Harrison, CJ, CJ2, Roy, all the 2nd round WR were great this week except Fitz...buy low in redraft leagues, right?

Fitz's lack of ANYTHING cost me a game this past weekend. The emphasis on running the ball by Wisenhunt and Lienart's tentative look has me worried. It's just the first week and I'm not selling but I am a bit worried.I have B. Edwards at WR3 and it's crossed my mind to bench him for Battle or Henderson until Quinn has a few weeks under his belt.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Santana Moss: Can Randel El keep racking 160 yds a week? NO! And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more. I expect S.Moss to bounce back hard over the next couple of weeks. Owners should be looking at this as a possible buying opp.

I don't disagree about your outlook on Moss, but unless you've seen a quote confirming the bolded part, it's pretty unlikely Cooley will be asked to block any more than he already does.If the Skins need extra blocking help from the TE* position you'll almost certainly see more of Todd Yoder on the field, along with Cooley. Cooley can line up (and has) at TE, FB/H-back or slot receiver. There's no way Gibbs/Saunders takes a weapon like Cooley out of their arsenal just to add some extra blocking, when they have a "blocking TE" rostered.

*FTR, i don't believe the Skins think for a second that they will need extra help on the line. They did just fine against a good Dolphins Dline with an undrafted rookie replacing Jansen. I think the veteran Wade, who most believe is as good as or better than Jansen, can handle himself fine without extra TE help.

 

[einstein2u]

i had high hopes for reggie brown....close to 1k and 8-9 TDs....he is my number 2.

starting to get a little worried with the emergence of curtis and his poor preseason.

hope monday he will put some decent numbers and a TD will be sweet.

it is still early......

 

[sholditch]

I have Fitz in one league, Evans in several. Am benching Evans where I can afford to for this week. Wondering if Fitz for Evans might be a good deal.

 

[ImTheScientist]

I think you play your studs even against tough D's. Last year Evans had:

Against Chicago D: 14 targets, 9receptions, 94 yards, 1TD

Against Baltimore: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 145 yards, 1 TD

Probably the 2 top D's last year (or two of the best) and these where his 2nd, and 3rd highest scoring weeks. Evans is a TOP 10 WR and ELITE tallent.....don't bench him as an overreaction to Champs dominance.

 

[Sid G]

Lee Evans: Had a terrible game against a tough secondary last week. Take a look at the Buffalo schedule because i don't think Evans is going to be a great play in the 1st half of the season...I know he will have some moments but I think owners are going to get really frustrated with this guy however he has an awful sweet schedule at the tail end of the season. I think the Shark play here is to watch him dwindle and then pounce on him in a few weeks maybe longer. Although in redrafts I bet you could grab him this week for a lot less than you think...especially if you play up his tough schedule.

@Pitt, @NE, NYJ, DAL, bye...he has 2 more pretty tough match ups.

after the bye...BAL, @NYJ, CIN, @Mia, NE, @Jax, @Was, up and down here.

Playoff weeks...MIA, @Cle, NYG...those look pretty nice.

Let the owner suffer another week or two and then go and vulture him away. We know he has mad skills.

I don't know if people think this has any predictive power, but Evans is empirically a 2nd-half player:

2004 (played in 15 games), games 1-6: 43 ypg, 1 TD; games 7-15: 65 ypg, 8 TD

2005, games 1-6: 33.5 ypg, 0 TD; games 7-16: 54 ypg, 7 TD

2006, games 1-7: 61 ypg, 1 TD; games 8-16: 96 ypg, 7 TD

This could be a random fluke, but if we want to guess at a reason, maybe it's the fact that by week 8 or so, when the DBs Evans is facing have all made scores of tackles over the season, Lee has done nothing more taxing than running the ball out of bounds.

For what it's worth, Evans's last three opening days were: 2 catches for 12 yards, no TDs; 3 catches for 68 yards, no TDs; 2 catches for 25 yards, no TDs.

 

[The Man Who Met Andy Griffith]

Evans -- buy low, but be prepared to deal with the consistency all season long. Capable of 100+ yards and 2+ TD's against any defense, but with **** Jauron and a horrible schedule, could come up small any week.

S Moss -- Has tended to have huge years and flops. I suspect that Randle El's game was a fluke, but I wonder if Moss is ailing? I expect the Skins to run, run, run this year, and I would avoid Moss, despite the upside.

Mark Clayton -- the injury is very worrisome. He was barely targeted, and Demetrius could conceivably surpass him. Mark Clayton had the potential to make the leap to a great receiver, but he hasn't made it yet. He is no sure thing. My best guess is that he will continue to disappoint but rebound for a strong second season. But who knows, really.

D. Branch -- buy low. I have never been super impressed with him as an NFL receiver, but the Hawks are. They will get him the ball, plenty. I could see him finishing as a WR1 in PPR.

Reggie Brown -- This one is tricky. McNabb will throw a lot more than he did vs. GB, and somebody has to catch them. I see Curtis as the 1A in that offense, but Brown could be decent as a 1B. Probably hold.

Fitz -- I agree with the other thread. Fitz is super-talented, but AZ is not a good situation this year. Sell while you can still get top 5 WR value for him.

 

[sholditch]

Here's another thing about Evans that makes me a little nervous, and it has nothing to do with him: Losman was visibly shaken after he visited Kevin Everett, and openly admitted to thinking twice about taking all the hits that come along with the game. It seriously seemed like the whole experience had made him seriously question whether the NFL was worth the risk. With that kind of attitude and thoughts going through his head, I am worried about his ability to keep his head in the pocket when Pitt starts blitzing, which they will do all day long.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Lee Evans: Had a terrible game against a tough secondary last week. Take a look at the Buffalo schedule because i don't think Evans is going to be a great play in the 1st half of the season...I know he will have some moments but I think owners are going to get really frustrated with this guy however he has an awful sweet schedule at the tail end of the season. I think the Shark play here is to watch him dwindle and then pounce on him in a few weeks maybe longer. Although in redrafts I bet you could grab him this week for a lot less than you think...especially if you play up his tough schedule. @Pitt, @NE, NYJ, DAL, bye...he has 2 more pretty tough match ups. after the bye...BAL, @NYJ, CIN, @Mia, NE, @Jax, @Was, up and down here.Playoff weeks...MIA, @Cle, NYG...those look pretty nice. Let the owner suffer another week or two and then go and vulture him away. We know he has mad skills.

Like others, I sort of disagree here. I think he's a great target to look to buy, but I think that his last down week will be against Pittsburgh. New England got worked pretty good in the passing game and without Harrison they really do have some problems. I think Evans should have a decent game although all bets are off if Jauron decides to try to control the game on the ground.And the Jets and DAL don't really have very good pass defenses at all.

 

[Restricted]

S Moss -- Has tended to have huge years and flops. I suspect that Randle El's game was a fluke, but I wonder if Moss is ailing? I expect the Skins to run, run, run this year, and I would avoid Moss, despite the upside.

Campbell was aweful against the Dolphins which was part of the reason. Moss was running what looked like good routes and Campbell was way off target. Maybe El was better at going and getting the ball? Campbell had missed most of the preseason with the injury and the game could be thought of as a warm up. Hopefully he gets a little more accuracy in the up coming weeks because S. Moss was open.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Evans reminds me a lot of Santana Moss in that it's feast or famine with these guys. Their QB play is too erratic to rely on them every week, but you can't afford to bench them either.

As for Fitz, he didn't appear to be getting much separation in the game against SF. But they were not having him run many deep routes either. Very conservative game planning. I still did not like what I saw from Fitz though. Boldin looked a lot better.

 

[zoonation]

Larry Fitzgerald: One of the only topflight WR to come up empty this week. TO, Holt, Smith, Wayne, Harrison, CJ, CJ2, Roy, all the 2nd round WR were great this week except Fitz...buy low in redraft leagues, right?

am I reading this right?

 

[ImTheScientist]

Evans reminds me a lot of Santana Moss in that it's feast or famine with these guys. Their QB play is too erratic to rely on them every week, but you can't afford to bench them either. As for Fitz, he didn't appear to be getting much separation in the game against SF. But they were not having him run many deep routes either. Very conservative game planning. I still did not like what I saw from Fitz though. Boldin looked a lot better.

When you really look at PPG consistancy how many WR's are out there that are not "Feast or Famine?" Most all are Feast or Famine.

 

[DoGdr]

Santana Moss was Dropped in my league this week. I am in the middle of the waivers list so I am debating trying to move up to get him.

 

[Dexter Manley]

S. Moss had 3 drops last week, IIRC. Also, Campbell barely missed him deep when he had the secondary beat for what should of been a td - that should be an aberration (the overthrow by Campbell). The Dolphins did everything they could to take Cooley and Moss out of the game last week which is why Randle El had such a big game. Whoever said Campbell looked bad must of been watching a different game than I did, because I thought he looked pretty good (particularly his pocket presence) and he only made a few throws that were off. Moss should have plenty of good opportunities this week vs. a blitz happy Eagles defense w/out Sheppard, and I think it's likely he has a solid, and even potentially great game. I'm personally keeping him in my lineup over Curry, Marshall, and CJ2.

WRT Lee Evans, I agree with the poster who said he just faced the toughest defense he will all season. If you're considering moving him, I would at least wait until after the Dallas game, as their pass coverage is horrid. If he continues to struggle the first half of the season, I would definitely consider targeting him in trades mid-season, as his playoff schedule is cupcake city -- Mia, @Cle, NYG.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Larry Fitzgerald: One of the only topflight WR to come up empty this week. TO, Holt, Smith, Wayne, Harrison, CJ, CJ2, Roy, all the 2nd round WR were great this week except Fitz...buy low in redraft leagues, right?

am I reading this right?

He had 4 catches and a TD...20 yds but still he showed up

 

[Watermelonhead]

Wasn't D Branch targeted twice in the endzone. Hasselback just missed him? I am giving him another week before I press the panic button.

How many times was Evans targeted in the game? Were they just not going his way because of Champ Bailey? The game looked so close all day from the internet stats. I wonder if they just did not want to risk throwing at Bailey...

If I remember correctly 70 yds of Randle El was a Hail Mary pass that got deflected into his hands. I do not think you can count on that every week. I think S Moss is still the main man here in DC.

WMH

 

[Schrute]

Hey MoP,

I agree and disagree with you on Evans. You mention initially he's not a solid play the first 1/2 of the season but then at the tail end mention let him suffer for a couple more weeks. A couple more weeks is only after week 3, that's hardly the first half of the season. After that, he's got the Jets and Dallas.

You saw what Moss did did to the Jets and you saw what Plaxico did to the Cowboys.

I think Evans may struggle somewhat vs. Pittsburgh. It's hard to tell how good they are since Cleveland's passing game is horrible. I do agree it'll be a modest game by him though.

The game vs. New England probably will be modest at best...however, I'd rather have a receiver up against the Pats than a RB. Coles had 2 Td's vs. the Pats and although I wouldn't bank on that for Evans, I wouldn't be shocked if he went for 70 yards and a TD vs. them.

I'm still high on Evans. I don't think his schedule is all that tough. You've just went through the hardest game....if you targeted this guy and didn't get him in your draft because he was snaked out just before your pick, go after him now.

I actually think Evans could go off vs. the Steelers. Pittsburgh's secondary always seems to give up a few big plays a game, and no one's a better deep threat than Evans. I could see him having like four catches for 140 yards and two TDs or something.

 

[Schrute]

As a side note, I own both Fitz and Evans in dynasty leagues but did not want to touch them in my re-draft league because of Buffalo's schedule in Evans' case and the hiring of Whisenhunt and his desire to run the ball in Fitzgerald's case. Week 1 affirmed my worries.

 

[FFdork]

I'm still bullish on Evans. Offered Bernard Berrian and Brandon Marshall for him in one league where I'm deep at WR (Evans would be my #3 behind S. Smith and Wayne). Sent a feeler out in another league.

 

[shuke]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

 

[Rev]

What's Clayton's injury again?

 

[Dexter Manley]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

It's not coming from anywhere. Wade will be taking over the RT spot, and his pass blocking should be equal to, if not actually slightly better than, Jansen's. When Washington does keep a TE in to block (which shouldn't be anymore than usual), it will virtually never be Cooley, as he's the #2 target on the offense. Look at the game last week after Jansen was injured and the rookie free agent Heyer replaced him, who had very limited experience at RT (he's played/practiced mostly at LT). They didn't keep Cooley in to block in pass pro any more than usual. In fact, Cooley's only reception came in OT on a blitz, and was one of the biggest plays of the game.

 

[thecardiackid]

Lee Evans: Maybe I'm but I think Evans is in a good situation - even w/ the "tough" schedule. Vs. Champ was brutal - most WRs are. BUT, the D in BUF went from bad to worse w/ a few big injuries last week. They were going to be playing catch up (passing more) anyway this season, and the injuires will only add to this theory. They'll be behind early - abandoning their average running game - and forced to move the ball via the pass game. As a Evans owner this is what I'm looking for. Now, the other side of this argument is teams can just double Evans since the rest of the WRs are somewhat pedestrian, but Price and Reed should do enough to get Evans his opps. He's not going to be a great PPR guy, but the yardage (overall) and TDs should be enough to justify his ADP of 4/5th round. Lossman knows who the best player on the offense is, and he'll get Evans the ball.

Santana Moss: Campbell's progression/learning curve will dictate how Moss does. Portis should help keep Ds honest if he remains healthy, so I'm not worried here either. Having a decent WR on the other side ala ARE can only help the cause as D's are forced to deal with the whole field vs. only focusing on shutting down Moss/Cooley. Campbell is the ? here though - and I believe he'll grow into a decent NFL QB. Moss has ALWAYS been a feast or famine guy. 150 and 2 tds or 3 for 30 yds. Those expecting CONSISTENT WR1/2 #s will be dissapointed IMO. He'll singlehandedly win (and lose) a few games for his owners.

Mark Clayton: McNair looked HORRIBLE. Injured w/ D. Williams stealing looks now. I'd sell here (after a good game or two) ASAP. Heap will continue to be the TD option, and Mason is still a decent possession option. Williams is the sneaky play here as he's proving he belongs on the field.

Deion Branch: I see SEA getting back to 25-30 carries for SA with some PA passing mixed in. This reminds me of NE where one guy may have a nice game on occasion - but owners chasing the points will get killed. I'd be OK with Engram in a PPR as a WR 4/5 as a bye week guy, but wouldn't want to be forced to play Branch w/ any consistency this year. Too many people had visions of automatically giving DJax's #s to Branch - just b/c of the change. Too bad Hackett went down, b/c he would have helped draw coverage away. SELL if you can get something IMO.

Reggie Brown: He'll be OK. McNabb was less than effective last week, and I'd wait a few weeks to see how the PHI pass game looks in October. Again, RB is not going to be a solid PPR guy, but he should still sniff 1k and 6/7 TDs. Good for a WR2/3 If he's your WR1 I'd look to make a deal, especially in a PPR. Classic example of one week over reactions if owners are dumping this guy.

Larry Fitzgerald: I stayed away from both Fitz & Boldin this year. Even moving Boldin in a TD only dynasty league on a team I adopted (for Evans eventually w/ salary cap relief). He might be a good play @ home where Lienhart is more comfortable, but a stiff on the road. He'll still have a good year, but I doubt either will justify a late r2 or early r3 ADP. Side note is that Pope got more looks in the SF game. He's not startable yet, but he caught most of what came his way, and he might be a decent dynasty 'stash' option for a year or two down the road - especially if he can get some endzone love. Miller in PIT had some decent seasons under Whiz.

 

[Restricted]

Whoever said Campbell looked bad must of been watching a different game than I did, because I thought he looked pretty good (particularly his pocket presence) and he only made a few throws that were off.

Maybe it was because you were fixated on that manbeast Jason Taylor? Campbell looked like a Highschooler.

 

[delusional]

Az has me worried offensively.

I was planning on starting Boldin all season but...I am seriously thinking about plugging CJ2 in there for the shear fact of how BAD AZs offense looked.

Brown had a horrible preseason / camp. Caught a case of the drops. It also didnt help that McNabb was back to his old accuracy for that game.

 

[Penguin]

I'm embarrassed to say that I aggressively went after Branch as my #4 WR in quite a few leagues, I ended up with him as my #3 in one or two A goose egg when Hackett left after 1 catch for 7 yards and Burleson only caught 2 for 41 yards is just unacceptable. I had Branch penciled in for around 75/1000/9 but it looks like he won't come close to approaching that. Engram was by far the value on that team.

 

[delusional]

Branch will be fine. People have to remember he is not a 1000yd 10td WR

 

[Ministry of Pain]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

Wade was inactive for the game this past Sunday so I am not sure why Skinsfans are so high on him. With Heyer at RT, Cooley had almost no targets the 2nd half of the game and was asked to stay in and help block more. It's not out this world to imagine that Cooley mighjt have to block a little more and 700/7 is not a doable number for him to repeat this year.

 

[shuke]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

It's not coming from anywhere. Wade will be taking over the RT spot, and his pass blocking should be equal to, if not actually slightly better than, Jansen's. When Washington does keep a TE in to block (which shouldn't be anymore than usual), it will virtually never be Cooley, as he's the #2 target on the offense. Look at the game last week after Jansen was injured and the rookie free agent Heyer replaced him, who had very limited experience at RT (he's played/practiced mostly at LT). They didn't keep Cooley in to block in pass pro any more than usual. In fact, Cooley's only reception came in OT on a blitz, and was one of the biggest plays of the game.

Thanks.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

I'm embarrassed to say that I aggressively went after Branch as my #4 WR in quite a few leagues, I ended up with him as my #3 in one or two A goose egg when Hackett left after 1 catch for 7 yards and Burleson only caught 2 for 41 yards is just unacceptable. I had Branch penciled in for around 75/1000/9 but it looks like he won't come close to approaching that. Engram was by far the value on that team.

Let's get to at least game two before we come to any conclusions about these guys. Especially Branch.

 

[Lehigh98]

I loaded up on Evans and Braylon in my leagues and have Fitz in two.

My first week was brutal (Especially since I played against Plax in 3/5 leagues).

But I'm not going to panic for a couple more weeks, its only week one.

Right?

 

[Sidewinder16]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

Wade was inactive for the game this past Sunday so I am not sure why Skinsfans are so high on him. With Heyer at RT, Cooley had almost no targets the 2nd half of the game and was asked to stay in and help block more. It's not out this world to imagine that Cooley mighjt have to block a little more and 700/7 is not a doable number for him to repeat this year.

You can only dress so many lineman in any given game. Wade was inactive because Heyer is (was; he's now backup at both T spots) Samuels' backup, and because Wade was just getting over a shoulder injury. Gibbs, et al wanted Heyer dressed as the backup T in case Samuels needed a breather (he had missed most of TC with a minor knee injury). Wade was not inactive because he's not any good. He was inactive because they had needs for backup linemen elsewhere.Cooley didn't have a lot of targets because the Dolphins focused extra coverage on him, which was found out the hard way when Campbell's first pass, intended for Cooley, was intercepted. Does Cooley block some? Absolutely. He probably wouldn't be listed as a TE if he didn't. But he's not the Skins "blocking TE". Todd Yoder is. Again (see post 5) if the Skins need "extra" blocking help from the TE position it will come from Yoder. Gibbs/Saunders aren't, and haven't been, crazy enough to remove their 2nd best receiving option from the game plan just to help on the line. Cooley can (and has) lineup in the backfield, split wide or on the line. He and Yoder can (and have) both be in the game at the same time if they need TE blocking help (Yoder), without losing a receiving threat (Cooley).

 

[Fizzelps]

I think you play your studs even against tough D's. Last year Evans had:Against Chicago D: 14 targets, 9receptions, 94 yards, 1TDAgainst Baltimore: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 145 yards, 1 TDProbably the 2 top D's last year (or two of the best) and these where his 2nd, and 3rd highest scoring weeks. Evans is a TOP 10 WR and ELITE tallent.....don't bench him as an overreaction to Champs dominance.

 

[dgreen]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

Wade was inactive for the game this past Sunday so I am not sure why Skinsfans are so high on him. With Heyer at RT, Cooley had almost no targets the 2nd half of the game and was asked to stay in and help block more. It's not out this world to imagine that Cooley mighjt have to block a little more and 700/7 is not a doable number for him to repeat this year.

You can only dress so many lineman in any given game. Wade was inactive because Heyer is (was; he's now backup at both T spots) Samuels' backup, and because Wade was just getting over a shoulder injury. Gibbs, et al wanted Heyer dressed as the backup T in case Samuels needed a breather (he had missed most of TC with a minor knee injury). Wade was not inactive because he's not any good. He was inactive because they had needs for backup linemen elsewhere.Cooley didn't have a lot of targets because the Dolphins focused extra coverage on him, which was found out the hard way when Campbell's first pass, intended for Cooley, was intercepted. Does Cooley block some? Absolutely. He probably wouldn't be listed as a TE if he didn't. But he's not the Skins "blocking TE". Todd Yoder is. Again (see post 5) if the Skins need "extra" blocking help from the TE position it will come from Yoder. Gibbs/Saunders aren't, and haven't been, crazy enough to remove their 2nd best receiving option from the game plan just to help on the line. Cooley can (and has) lineup in the backfield, split wide or on the line. He and Yoder can (and have) both be in the game at the same time if they need TE blocking help (Yoder), without losing a receiving threat (Cooley).

I posted this about Cooley in another thread:

Okay, here's how I tracked the passing plays once Jansen was out:1. Lined up on the left side (not Jansen's side) and stayed in to block. He didn't actually block anyone and made himself available for a dump off.2. Left side, ran a pattern.3. Right side, appeared to block, but I think they may have been running a screen to Cooley that didn't set up properly.4. Right side, ran a pattern.5. Left side and blocked immediately as Campbell threw a quick slant to Moss.6. Left slot and ran a pattern.7. Right side, ran a pattern.8. Right slot and ran a pattern.9. Left side and blocked immediately as Campbell threw a quick slant to Moss.10. Right side, ran a pattern.11. Right slot and ran a pattern.12. Right side, blocked, made himself available for a dump off.13. Wide right and ran a pattern.14. Right side and blocked.15. Right side, ran a pattern.16. Right side, ran a pattern.17. Right slot, ran a pattern, made a reception.So, he mostly ran patterns on pass plays AND he mostly lined up on Samuels' side. Of course, one possibility is that they wanted to stick with their game plan despite the possible desire to offer extra help on the right side. They could possibly game plan this week to have Cooley assist Wade/Heyer on the right side. But, as has been said, that's not why they have Cooley and they didn't seem to mind leaving Heyer alone quite often.

 

[shuke]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

Wade was inactive for the game this past Sunday so I am not sure why Skinsfans are so high on him. With Heyer at RT, Cooley had almost no targets the 2nd half of the game and was asked to stay in and help block more. It's not out this world to imagine that Cooley mighjt have to block a little more and 700/7 is not a doable number for him to repeat this year.

You can only dress so many lineman in any given game. Wade was inactive because Heyer is (was; he's now backup at both T spots) Samuels' backup, and because Wade was just getting over a shoulder injury. Gibbs, et al wanted Heyer dressed as the backup T in case Samuels needed a breather (he had missed most of TC with a minor knee injury). Wade was not inactive because he's not any good. He was inactive because they had needs for backup linemen elsewhere.Cooley didn't have a lot of targets because the Dolphins focused extra coverage on him, which was found out the hard way when Campbell's first pass, intended for Cooley, was intercepted. Does Cooley block some? Absolutely. He probably wouldn't be listed as a TE if he didn't. But he's not the Skins "blocking TE". Todd Yoder is. Again (see post 5) if the Skins need "extra" blocking help from the TE position it will come from Yoder. Gibbs/Saunders aren't, and haven't been, crazy enough to remove their 2nd best receiving option from the game plan just to help on the line. Cooley can (and has) lineup in the backfield, split wide or on the line. He and Yoder can (and have) both be in the game at the same time if they need TE blocking help (Yoder), without losing a receiving threat (Cooley).

I posted this about Cooley in another thread:

Okay, here's how I tracked the passing plays once Jansen was out:1. Lined up on the left side (not Jansen's side) and stayed in to block. He didn't actually block anyone and made himself available for a dump off.2. Left side, ran a pattern.3. Right side, appeared to block, but I think they may have been running a screen to Cooley that didn't set up properly.4. Right side, ran a pattern.5. Left side and blocked immediately as Campbell threw a quick slant to Moss.6. Left slot and ran a pattern.7. Right side, ran a pattern.8. Right slot and ran a pattern.9. Left side and blocked immediately as Campbell threw a quick slant to Moss.10. Right side, ran a pattern.11. Right slot and ran a pattern.12. Right side, blocked, made himself available for a dump off.13. Wide right and ran a pattern.14. Right side and blocked.15. Right side, ran a pattern.16. Right side, ran a pattern.17. Right slot, ran a pattern, made a reception.So, he mostly ran patterns on pass plays AND he mostly lined up on Samuels' side. Of course, one possibility is that they wanted to stick with their game plan despite the possible desire to offer extra help on the right side. They could possibly game plan this week to have Cooley assist Wade/Heyer on the right side. But, as has been said, that's not why they have Cooley and they didn't seem to mind leaving Heyer alone quite often.

Awesome info. Thanks.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

And Cooley is going to be asked to stay in and block a little more.

Where is this coming from?

Wade was inactive for the game this past Sunday so I am not sure why Skinsfans are so high on him. With Heyer at RT, Cooley had almost no targets the 2nd half of the game and was asked to stay in and help block more. It's not out this world to imagine that Cooley mighjt have to block a little more and 700/7 is not a doable number for him to repeat this year.

You can only dress so many lineman in any given game. Wade was inactive because Heyer is (was; he's now backup at both T spots) Samuels' backup, and because Wade was just getting over a shoulder injury. Gibbs, et al wanted Heyer dressed as the backup T in case Samuels needed a breather (he had missed most of TC with a minor knee injury). Wade was not inactive because he's not any good. He was inactive because they had needs for backup linemen elsewhere.Cooley didn't have a lot of targets because the Dolphins focused extra coverage on him, which was found out the hard way when Campbell's first pass, intended for Cooley, was intercepted. Does Cooley block some? Absolutely. He probably wouldn't be listed as a TE if he didn't. But he's not the Skins "blocking TE". Todd Yoder is. Again (see post 5) if the Skins need "extra" blocking help from the TE position it will come from Yoder. Gibbs/Saunders aren't, and haven't been, crazy enough to remove their 2nd best receiving option from the game plan just to help on the line. Cooley can (and has) lineup in the backfield, split wide or on the line. He and Yoder can (and have) both be in the game at the same time if they need TE blocking help (Yoder), without losing a receiving threat (Cooley).

For all the Todd Wade is God folks out there...this guy wasn't good enough for Miami to pony up the money to keep him, and then he was let go by the Houston Texans...THE HOUSTON TEXANS!!! He is not that good and anyone that thanks he is an upgrade over Jansen is not being real IMHO.We'll see what Cooley does this weekend but I am not as optimistic for him this season moving forward...not top5.

 

[sholditch]

Here's another thing about Evans that makes me a little nervous, and it has nothing to do with him: Losman was visibly shaken after he visited Kevin Everett, and openly admitted to thinking twice about taking all the hits that come along with the game. It seriously seemed like the whole experience had made him seriously question whether the NFL was worth the risk. With that kind of attitude and thoughts going through his head, I am worried about his ability to keep his head in the pocket when Pitt starts blitzing, which they will do all day long.

Am I the only one concerned about this, or the only one who saw the press conference?

 

[Sidewinder16]

For all the Todd Wade is God folks out there...this guy wasn't good enough for Miami to pony up the money to keep him, and then he was let go by the Houston Texans...THE HOUSTON TEXANS!!! He is not that good and anyone that thanks he is an upgrade over Jansen is not being real IMHO.We'll see what Cooley does this weekend but I am not as optimistic for him this season moving forward...not top5.

If you think Jansen is God, I'm pretty sure you haven't watched him recently. Most of us who aren't overly worried about the Skins OL are like that because we know Wade is at least as good as Jansen, with last year's Saints games and current locker room reporting to support that belief. I can't speak with authority on exactly why Houston let him go, but from what I've heard it had a lot to do with his injury that year ('05) and Kubiak's desire for smaller, quicker OL when he changed the Texans to a zone blocking scheme.I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, and let the season play out.I still think Moss makes a great fantasy WR2 and Cooley will still be a Top 5 TE come season's end.