Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Football and Fantasy Football…why do some teams some organizations are able to produce a winner on the field, yet other teams year in and year out consistently seem to come up with new ways to lose and continue to be also runs in the NFL? Some of these teams have a surprise year here and there, but overall they continue to float along and simply cannot be relied on. These teams seem to rotate head coaches in and out of the organizations, they fire their GMs routinely, they are always picking high in the drafts so you would think after a few seasons they would get it turned around. They don’t though.
I like to focus on something called Organizational Philosophy. Is the ownership of the team a strong leader that will be able to not only put a winning product on the field but also create a strong inner core that will lead to lots of trips into the playoffs over the course of their leadership. I guess what I’m looking for is stability. Some owners may never be able to win a Super Bowl but they can surround themselves with the right GMs, HC, this group of people can actually take over and cover up an owner that is actually not a great leader but smart enough to bring in good leaders.
Some of you are wondering what this really has to do with fantasy football, and I understand how many folks can’t see the relation between what I am referring to and Randy Moss going off for 1500 yards and 20 TD in a season
Everyone gets so hot for certain players coming out of college that sometimes we really need to take a step back and look at the overall situation that they are entering and what impact that will have not just the 1st season but down the road as well. When looking at these FA signings, what is the situation that players are going to be in…did Michael Turner’s new home really sit well with everyone? We’ll talk about that later on but I am going to systematically try and dissect all 32 NFL teams and showcase what I feel is the “Organizational Philosophy” for each team. Why would I do this? Well when I talk to folks in the different dynasty leagues and some of the board experts on college prospects, most of the time I am not real interested in the hype until I see the team that drafts the player. If Darren McFadden for example were drafted by the Miami Dolphins, and because they already have Ronnie Brown and a decent but not stellar OL, that situation would probably not make me want to jump on McFadden with the 1.01 in dynasty drafts this season. On the other hand if Rice from Rutgers were drafted by Seattle after they presumably cut Shaun Alexander, that would be a situation I would like a lot better from top to bottom. So let’s break this down division by division and see where this ends up.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are a team that most owners should feel great about if they own any of the offensive weapons in Big D. This is an organization that is not afraid to spend money and not only keep great players but also go out and sign the big free agents if they think it will help them win. Does Jerry Jones get too much involved? Very possible in the alte 90s and early 2000s but as of late he seems more about writing the checks and hiring trustworthy people to take care of things.
You look at the Cowboys thru the years and they have great RBs like Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, and a very promising Marion Barber, is he the next great Dallas RB? Certainly history within this organization shows that RB can shine big time in Dallas.
They went from Staubach to White to Aikman to now Tony Romo.
From Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, next came Michael Irvin, now they have Terrell Owens. At TE they went from Crosbie to Novacek to now Jason Witten, perhaps the best pass catching TE they have ever had.
Dallas is a team rich in tradition, they have 5 Lombardi Trophies. Do trophies add up to fantasy football success? Perhaps not immediately but it does speak to the organization and what they are trying to accomplish.
The coaches in place are solid and it looks the offensive scheme is here to stay as Jason Garrett, the OC, is almost a lock to succeed Wade Phillips when he decides he has had enough fun in Dallas. I would rate the QB, WR1, TE, and RB in Dallas as premium positions right now. Even the WR2 slot seems to produce a lot of points on any given week. I also feel that Owens is likely the biggest piece of that puzzle and if he is not healthy the foundation here in Dallas could fall apart although not disband completely. What is the shelf life of TO at this point? I am pretty sure that because he takes such care of his body that he could likely play into his late 30s but over the next year or two he will start to see some slight declines in his production. Still, 80/1350/15 TD at his age is just incredible…Owens will be 35 in December.
Is there room for a rookie to come into this organization and make a big splash in ’08? I’m not too sure about that. No WR is going to start immediately, likely a WR3 at best. TE and QB are locked down for the foreseeable future, and the RB spot is a little shaky but based on how they use the position currently, MB III is a great match for that system. I guess a rookie RB could make waves but I think it would likely take a key injury from MB III for that player to have any meaningful reps and production this season.
New York Giants: One of the worst teams ever to win a Super Bowl but it doesn’t matter and they now sit with 3 Lombardi Trophies in their case, good for them. I certainly was rooting for them in the Super Bowl so I don’t have any hate for the Giants. I will say this though, after they win these Super Bowls, the organization in my opinion does not put a great emphasis on getting back there. I have not seen them make a lot of noise in free agency, and even though they won the SB last year, this team is not all that Super when you look at it from top to bottom.
The good news is Eli Manning is only going to get better. He took command of the offense down the stretch and there was never a doubt who the leader of this offense was in the playoffs. Those are good solid things you must have to showcase a productive offense. That said, it is apparent that they need to part ways with Jeremy Shockey. Even a die hard Canesfan like myself can see that he is disruptive to the chemistry of that team. They also have an upcoming TE by the name of Boss who might be a better fit even if he is less productive.
The RB situation in NY is pretty muddy to me. I was a guy that like Bradshaw and picked him up very late in a lot of dynasty drafts last season. And since there was a mess at RB with Jacobs, Droughns, and Ward, to me it wasn’t a crowded backfield but one in transition which made it a decent place for Bradshaw who had a checkered past in college, to land. Tiki retired and to me if you are going to look at a back that can run and catch, Bradshaw is really the only back on the team who is capable of hurting teams both ways. Do I think he will be the starter this year? Probably not, but I do think he will get more and more playing time. Ward looked great when he was on the field but I do believe this will be a 2 horse show with Jacobs and Bradshaw. It won them a Super Bowl so I doubt they make a lot of changes there.
At WR, the only mystery to me is if Steve Smith will overtake Toomer this season(not likely) or next season(more likely).
The coaching staff has been given longer contracts and although I am never a fan of Coughlin and his offense, I do give him his just due for winning the Super Bowl. I don’t think the Giants players are a real premium, but certainly not lower shelf either. Plaxico Burress to me has the most value but I still am never sure what is going on in his head. Eli Manning should continue to be a solid FF QB but he is going to have to do better than 3300/23 TD before he is really an elite guy.
Philadelphia Eagles: I’ll break this down by position and of course Andy Reid’s coaching philosophy which almost supercedes the organizational philosophy.
QB: A long history of pretty good QBs, some of the elite. Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham, and now Donovan Mcnabb. The Eagles have done a good job thru the years of getting great QBs but keeping them healthy has always been a problem. Jaws got old quick, RC had some season ending injuries, now McNabb follow a lot in those same footprints. As a FF owner, I love it when McNabb is rolling as he can be a top3 FF Qb for periods of time, but rarely over the full season. Would make me leery to have a Philly starting QB as my cornerstone in Dynasty.
WR: Nothing there right now is Canton material, that’s for sure. They had TO but couldn’t keep him happy. But Philly has had some great WR like Carmichael, Chris Carter played there, Irving Fryar passed thru, they just can’t seem to find that 10 year starting WR for them although Carmichael was all that back in the day.
TE: Very up and down. LJ Smith seemed to get hurt as of late, they have had some big names at TE including Keith Jackson but they also are a team that ahs a hard time holding onto players. They are always letting big names leave, not just on offense either.
RB: Westbrook had his career year last season with 2,000 total yards and 12 TD…sell high owners, sell high!!! Has anyone gone into the HoF that was a Philly RB? I don’t actually know the answer to that but perhaps others do.
There is room for improvement at the WR spot. If they got a real stud at WR thru the draft, I could see that player immediately become the WR2 in Philly. Problem is they just have not had a lot of luck at WR thru the draft which would make me uncomfortable as a dynasty owner. I don’t see a RB pushing Westbrook to the side either.
Washington Redskins: So Snyder waits and waits, plays games with Fossil possibly being the HC in Washington, he kept pushing it back further and further, obviously he wanted someone that was coaching in the Super Bowl…he got none of those candidates and ended up making Jim Zorn the next HC in Washington? This team has terrible organizational philosophy and it starts with Snyder. I know I am going to get a lot of heat form Skinsfans but I don’t really care, I have to call them like I seem them.
The Joe Gibbs experiment really didn’t go anywhere. We thought that bringing in the offensive guru in KC would make Washington a FF bonanza and it wasn’t. Look at the positions one by one.
QB: Regardless of what you think Jason Campbell will become the fact is he is a longshot to be an elite QB in the NFL IMO. I know guys are hot for JC and that he has had some success, Skinsfans really like to defend him because he is so young…but seriously, where does Jason Campbell stack up with the other 31 starting NFL QBs…I’m not going to put him in a box but I would not put him in the top half by a long shot. And you look at the 3 previous teams we are talking about and those teams all have pretty solid QBs entrenched in the starting role. Campbell isn’t even the best QB in his division..maybe 4th actually so how can anyone try and act like he is the next great thing? I am hammering on this because it has a ripple effect on the other key positions.
WR: Santana Moss has avg about 60 catches, 800 yards and about 4-5 TD the past 2 seasons…those are facts folks, I don’t make this stuff up. Is he a good buy low candidate? Maybe but what in Washington gives you the go ahead to want to get into bed with any of their starting players? We know nothing about what Zorn is going to go with, and quite frankly it would frighten me as a dynasty owner and does since I own Moss in a couple of leagues.
TE: Cooley is solid but again I wonder what the plan for him will be in the new offense.
RB: Portis has been so up and down, very underwhelming to me most of last season…he was in the top half of starting RB but he didn’t carry anyone to a championship, please! The guy avg under 4 ypc for the 2nd time since being in Washington. I think if you have an owner that is hot for Portis that you should sell big time. He will be entering his 7th season in 2008 so the mileage is adding up with this guy.
This is one of those teams that I would not be excited about if they took a RB high in the draft, or a WR…I think Washington in general is in disarray and I don not ee them as a team on the rise. Sorry to the Skinsfans but I just don’t see a lot of upside right now with their offensive stars.
I really wanted to do these threads in the off season when the real NFL fans are patrolling on these boards. Please don't be afraid to speak out, a lot of what you just read could be dead wrong. But let's try and learn form each other and stay away from a lot of put downs and 1 ups, they don't get us anywhere in these threads. I am looking forward to putting up the other 28 teams but it will be over a period of time as I cannot get these threads out as quick as I used to. Enjoy!
I like to focus on something called Organizational Philosophy. Is the ownership of the team a strong leader that will be able to not only put a winning product on the field but also create a strong inner core that will lead to lots of trips into the playoffs over the course of their leadership. I guess what I’m looking for is stability. Some owners may never be able to win a Super Bowl but they can surround themselves with the right GMs, HC, this group of people can actually take over and cover up an owner that is actually not a great leader but smart enough to bring in good leaders.
Some of you are wondering what this really has to do with fantasy football, and I understand how many folks can’t see the relation between what I am referring to and Randy Moss going off for 1500 yards and 20 TD in a season
Everyone gets so hot for certain players coming out of college that sometimes we really need to take a step back and look at the overall situation that they are entering and what impact that will have not just the 1st season but down the road as well. When looking at these FA signings, what is the situation that players are going to be in…did Michael Turner’s new home really sit well with everyone? We’ll talk about that later on but I am going to systematically try and dissect all 32 NFL teams and showcase what I feel is the “Organizational Philosophy” for each team. Why would I do this? Well when I talk to folks in the different dynasty leagues and some of the board experts on college prospects, most of the time I am not real interested in the hype until I see the team that drafts the player. If Darren McFadden for example were drafted by the Miami Dolphins, and because they already have Ronnie Brown and a decent but not stellar OL, that situation would probably not make me want to jump on McFadden with the 1.01 in dynasty drafts this season. On the other hand if Rice from Rutgers were drafted by Seattle after they presumably cut Shaun Alexander, that would be a situation I would like a lot better from top to bottom. So let’s break this down division by division and see where this ends up.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are a team that most owners should feel great about if they own any of the offensive weapons in Big D. This is an organization that is not afraid to spend money and not only keep great players but also go out and sign the big free agents if they think it will help them win. Does Jerry Jones get too much involved? Very possible in the alte 90s and early 2000s but as of late he seems more about writing the checks and hiring trustworthy people to take care of things.
You look at the Cowboys thru the years and they have great RBs like Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, and a very promising Marion Barber, is he the next great Dallas RB? Certainly history within this organization shows that RB can shine big time in Dallas.
They went from Staubach to White to Aikman to now Tony Romo.
From Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, next came Michael Irvin, now they have Terrell Owens. At TE they went from Crosbie to Novacek to now Jason Witten, perhaps the best pass catching TE they have ever had.
Dallas is a team rich in tradition, they have 5 Lombardi Trophies. Do trophies add up to fantasy football success? Perhaps not immediately but it does speak to the organization and what they are trying to accomplish.
The coaches in place are solid and it looks the offensive scheme is here to stay as Jason Garrett, the OC, is almost a lock to succeed Wade Phillips when he decides he has had enough fun in Dallas. I would rate the QB, WR1, TE, and RB in Dallas as premium positions right now. Even the WR2 slot seems to produce a lot of points on any given week. I also feel that Owens is likely the biggest piece of that puzzle and if he is not healthy the foundation here in Dallas could fall apart although not disband completely. What is the shelf life of TO at this point? I am pretty sure that because he takes such care of his body that he could likely play into his late 30s but over the next year or two he will start to see some slight declines in his production. Still, 80/1350/15 TD at his age is just incredible…Owens will be 35 in December.
Is there room for a rookie to come into this organization and make a big splash in ’08? I’m not too sure about that. No WR is going to start immediately, likely a WR3 at best. TE and QB are locked down for the foreseeable future, and the RB spot is a little shaky but based on how they use the position currently, MB III is a great match for that system. I guess a rookie RB could make waves but I think it would likely take a key injury from MB III for that player to have any meaningful reps and production this season.
New York Giants: One of the worst teams ever to win a Super Bowl but it doesn’t matter and they now sit with 3 Lombardi Trophies in their case, good for them. I certainly was rooting for them in the Super Bowl so I don’t have any hate for the Giants. I will say this though, after they win these Super Bowls, the organization in my opinion does not put a great emphasis on getting back there. I have not seen them make a lot of noise in free agency, and even though they won the SB last year, this team is not all that Super when you look at it from top to bottom.
The good news is Eli Manning is only going to get better. He took command of the offense down the stretch and there was never a doubt who the leader of this offense was in the playoffs. Those are good solid things you must have to showcase a productive offense. That said, it is apparent that they need to part ways with Jeremy Shockey. Even a die hard Canesfan like myself can see that he is disruptive to the chemistry of that team. They also have an upcoming TE by the name of Boss who might be a better fit even if he is less productive.
The RB situation in NY is pretty muddy to me. I was a guy that like Bradshaw and picked him up very late in a lot of dynasty drafts last season. And since there was a mess at RB with Jacobs, Droughns, and Ward, to me it wasn’t a crowded backfield but one in transition which made it a decent place for Bradshaw who had a checkered past in college, to land. Tiki retired and to me if you are going to look at a back that can run and catch, Bradshaw is really the only back on the team who is capable of hurting teams both ways. Do I think he will be the starter this year? Probably not, but I do think he will get more and more playing time. Ward looked great when he was on the field but I do believe this will be a 2 horse show with Jacobs and Bradshaw. It won them a Super Bowl so I doubt they make a lot of changes there.
At WR, the only mystery to me is if Steve Smith will overtake Toomer this season(not likely) or next season(more likely).
The coaching staff has been given longer contracts and although I am never a fan of Coughlin and his offense, I do give him his just due for winning the Super Bowl. I don’t think the Giants players are a real premium, but certainly not lower shelf either. Plaxico Burress to me has the most value but I still am never sure what is going on in his head. Eli Manning should continue to be a solid FF QB but he is going to have to do better than 3300/23 TD before he is really an elite guy.
Philadelphia Eagles: I’ll break this down by position and of course Andy Reid’s coaching philosophy which almost supercedes the organizational philosophy.
QB: A long history of pretty good QBs, some of the elite. Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham, and now Donovan Mcnabb. The Eagles have done a good job thru the years of getting great QBs but keeping them healthy has always been a problem. Jaws got old quick, RC had some season ending injuries, now McNabb follow a lot in those same footprints. As a FF owner, I love it when McNabb is rolling as he can be a top3 FF Qb for periods of time, but rarely over the full season. Would make me leery to have a Philly starting QB as my cornerstone in Dynasty.
WR: Nothing there right now is Canton material, that’s for sure. They had TO but couldn’t keep him happy. But Philly has had some great WR like Carmichael, Chris Carter played there, Irving Fryar passed thru, they just can’t seem to find that 10 year starting WR for them although Carmichael was all that back in the day.
TE: Very up and down. LJ Smith seemed to get hurt as of late, they have had some big names at TE including Keith Jackson but they also are a team that ahs a hard time holding onto players. They are always letting big names leave, not just on offense either.
RB: Westbrook had his career year last season with 2,000 total yards and 12 TD…sell high owners, sell high!!! Has anyone gone into the HoF that was a Philly RB? I don’t actually know the answer to that but perhaps others do.
There is room for improvement at the WR spot. If they got a real stud at WR thru the draft, I could see that player immediately become the WR2 in Philly. Problem is they just have not had a lot of luck at WR thru the draft which would make me uncomfortable as a dynasty owner. I don’t see a RB pushing Westbrook to the side either.
Washington Redskins: So Snyder waits and waits, plays games with Fossil possibly being the HC in Washington, he kept pushing it back further and further, obviously he wanted someone that was coaching in the Super Bowl…he got none of those candidates and ended up making Jim Zorn the next HC in Washington? This team has terrible organizational philosophy and it starts with Snyder. I know I am going to get a lot of heat form Skinsfans but I don’t really care, I have to call them like I seem them.
The Joe Gibbs experiment really didn’t go anywhere. We thought that bringing in the offensive guru in KC would make Washington a FF bonanza and it wasn’t. Look at the positions one by one.
QB: Regardless of what you think Jason Campbell will become the fact is he is a longshot to be an elite QB in the NFL IMO. I know guys are hot for JC and that he has had some success, Skinsfans really like to defend him because he is so young…but seriously, where does Jason Campbell stack up with the other 31 starting NFL QBs…I’m not going to put him in a box but I would not put him in the top half by a long shot. And you look at the 3 previous teams we are talking about and those teams all have pretty solid QBs entrenched in the starting role. Campbell isn’t even the best QB in his division..maybe 4th actually so how can anyone try and act like he is the next great thing? I am hammering on this because it has a ripple effect on the other key positions.
WR: Santana Moss has avg about 60 catches, 800 yards and about 4-5 TD the past 2 seasons…those are facts folks, I don’t make this stuff up. Is he a good buy low candidate? Maybe but what in Washington gives you the go ahead to want to get into bed with any of their starting players? We know nothing about what Zorn is going to go with, and quite frankly it would frighten me as a dynasty owner and does since I own Moss in a couple of leagues.
TE: Cooley is solid but again I wonder what the plan for him will be in the new offense.
RB: Portis has been so up and down, very underwhelming to me most of last season…he was in the top half of starting RB but he didn’t carry anyone to a championship, please! The guy avg under 4 ypc for the 2nd time since being in Washington. I think if you have an owner that is hot for Portis that you should sell big time. He will be entering his 7th season in 2008 so the mileage is adding up with this guy.
This is one of those teams that I would not be excited about if they took a RB high in the draft, or a WR…I think Washington in general is in disarray and I don not ee them as a team on the rise. Sorry to the Skinsfans but I just don’t see a lot of upside right now with their offensive stars.
I really wanted to do these threads in the off season when the real NFL fans are patrolling on these boards. Please don't be afraid to speak out, a lot of what you just read could be dead wrong. But let's try and learn form each other and stay away from a lot of put downs and 1 ups, they don't get us anywhere in these threads. I am looking forward to putting up the other 28 teams but it will be over a period of time as I cannot get these threads out as quick as I used to. Enjoy!
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Excellent post Bri, well thought out.
He had 1600+ combined yards and double digit TDs last year. He was the #4 fantasy RB based on FBG scoring.Now he's going to be the primary back in a Holmgren-style WCO. There may be some growing pains learning the new offense, but Portis is by far a good player to invest in, FF-wise.
He had 1600+ combined yards and double digit TDs last year. He was the #4 fantasy RB based on FBG scoring.Now he's going to be the primary back in a Holmgren-style WCO. There may be some growing pains learning the new offense, but Portis is by far a good player to invest in, FF-wise.
He had 1600+ combined yards and double digit TDs last year. He was the #4 fantasy RB based on FBG scoring.Now he's going to be the primary back in a Holmgren-style WCO. There may be some growing pains learning the new offense, but Portis is by far a good player to invest in, FF-wise.
He had 1600+ combined yards and double digit TDs last year. He was the #4 fantasy RB based on FBG scoring.Now he's going to be the primary back in a Holmgren-style WCO. There may be some growing pains learning the new offense, but Portis is by far a good player to invest in, FF-wise.
