Hello Tiger Report faithful, I'm the newest member to join this rising sports blog and would like to briefly introduce myself and what I will be touching on week to week.
My name is Joseph Turnbull and I'm happy at the opportunity to be a part of what I believe to be one of the best sources for fantasy insight that most are unaware of. The Tiger Report now consists of 3 very passionate and dedicated sports fans whose knowledge, extensive analysis and overall intuition for football can provide ample knowledge and insight to help you win your fantasy league(s).
I personally will be touching weekly on bounce back candidates which will consist of underachieving fantasy stars primed to bounce back, "The game within the game" which will analyze the weeks top individual match ups. I will also provide a buy or sell column listing players primed to breakout or players whose value is low enough that their future play will allow for owners who acquire them via trade or waiver wire pickup to profit from the acquisition. I will be doing the same with players who appear to have peaked or are headed for a decline down the stretch.
The Tiger Report team works hard each week to provide readers with the best advice and most accurate and up to date info. I'm a very dedicated fantasy writer myself and will do my best to only make The Tiger Report more helpful for you.
enjoy and good luck,
Joseph Turnbull
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Matt Forte: The Bears are grinding me to a pulp
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 2, 2011, 3:08 PM EDT
On the field, Matt Forte has been the Bears’ best player this season. Off the field, he has rarely missed an opportunity to complain about his contract.
Forte’s latest complaint is that the Bears seem willing to break down his body by making him a workhorse back, but they’re not willing to pay him like a workhorse back.
“The running back position is the most physically demanding on the field,” Forte told Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Everyone acknowledges that. So to continue to give me the touches I’ve had since my rookie year but not award me a long-term contract sends the message that you’re OK grinding me into a pulp.”
What are Matt Forte and LeSean McCoy worth?
A few months ago three teams made huge commitments to the tune of $64 million guaranteed. They were supposed to be meaningful and lasting relationships. However at the mid-point of the season, they appear to be just high priced hookups.
While Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams appear to have gotten on track, only Gore has been productive. Even his numbers could be misleading. He faced an Eagles team that is surrendering 5.0 yards per carry, then played three straight games against teams that are 22nd or worse in rush defense. So are his numbers inflated this year? It is possible, but hard to tell at this point. Then you have Williams averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but don’t let that fool you. He had only two games that he even averaged over 4.0 yards per carry, and it has skewed his average. Finally there is my man, CJ-No-K who is taking the league by storm this year with an astounding 2.8 yards per carry. He has broken 100 yards and 4.0 yards per carry just once, and that was against a porous Cleveland defense.
Those three players signed complex contracts that far exceed the $64 million guaranteed, but it is unlikely that they will receive even close to the maximum values. However, they are getting paid well right now. For argument sake, I took the maximum value of the contracts and divided it by the length of the contract. These are clearly not accurate values for 2011, but they are merely a point of reference. In all actuality these guys are all probably making more money than that this year, as most lucrative contracts are front loaded with the guaranteed money, and back loaded with the rest. For Chris Johnson the approximate value would be $9.21 million, DeAngelo Williams $8.6 million, and Frank Gore $6.45 million.
So let’s take a second look at the Titans, Panthers and Niners return on investment this year at the halfway point. For the Titans the once explosive Chris Johnson has produced a total of 462 all-purpose yards through 7 games. This type of production is costing the Titans $19,935 per yard. DeAngelo Williams has racked up 424 yards costing Carolina $20,283 per yard. Gore has been the most productive of the halfback contract triumvirate. Frank has put up 746 yards and is only getting paid $8,646 per yard, not bad considering he is the only one of the three to score more than one touchdown.
To highlight just how silly this is, I want to introduce you to Matt Forte and LeSean McCoy, two of the finest young backs in the NFL. Through only seven games Forte has amassed 1,091 yards, which accounts for a staggering 43.5% of Chicago’s entire offense. LeSean McCoy on the other hand is overshadowed on the All-Hype squad in Philly, but is quietly showing that he is one of the most electrifying players in the league. At only 23 years old McCoy has generated 892 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns. To put that into perspective, the only offensive player to score more points is Megatron. Not bad company if you ask anyone but Rob Ryan. McCoy is still 28.36% of the Eagles offensive yardage, while more than doubling the next closest players touchdown total.
Forte is in the final year of his rookie deal where he is making $600,000. He is set to hit the free agent market just as he is entering his prime at the age of 26. The Bears are essentially paying Forte $549.95 per yard. Yet McCoy is in the 3rd year of a 4 year deal that has him earning $490,000 this year. The Eagles are paying him and eerily similar wage of $549.32 per yard.
This begs the question of why these organizations are not willing to pay up. Forte made it clear he wanted to be in Chicago with a new 4-5 year deal, but the Bears wouldn’t offer more than $15 million guaranteed. The Eagles won’t even entertain contract talks with a player until he is near the end of his deal, because it’s the way they run their organization. So McCoy will likely have to play another season on his rookie deal to even enter into negotiations. Consider this, the Titans, Panthers, and 49ers paid $64 million in guaranteed money to three guys whose average age is 27.3 years old and less than 3 years away from the running back graveyard. Their production totals are 1,632 yards and 7 touchdowns. You would think that the Bears and Eagles would be willing to pay a combined $40 million guaranteed for two guys whose production is 1,983 yards and 13 touchdowns, with an average age of 25. Heck, they still would only be making half as much as Adrian Peterson at that price.
Phil Simms not sold on Andrew Luck's arm strength
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2011, 1:48 PM EDT
There’s a small minority of league insiders who believe that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck isn’t the franchise savior that most are making him out to be. Former NFL quarterback and current CBS/Showtime analyst Phil Simms appears to be a member of said minority.
“I think the hype is a little too much,” Simms told Adam Schein and Rich Gannon of SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday. “I feel bad for him in that respect. I mean, what’s he going to do to match what they say he can do?
“There’s a lot to him. I think his best quality, by far, is he’s big and strong and he’s going to be able to move and run in the NFL. There’s no question. I mean, this guy is strong. The throwing? He manages a game. I see all that.
Ravens are confused and frustrated about taunting penalties
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 2, 2011, 1:38 PM EDT
Two Ravens picked up unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for celebrating after plays in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, and afterwards the guys from Baltimore said they don’t understand what the officials were calling.
“I saw what happened. They were right in front of me,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, via CSNBaltimore.com. “I’m going to have to save [an opinion] for the league because, to be honest with you, I don’t understand them. I’m looking forward to seeing how the league explains them to us.”
One penalty was on Ravens safety Bernard Pollard, who yelled something at Cardinals tight end Jeff King after pushing him out of bounds. The other was on running back Ray Rice, who celebrated a seven-yard catch and got called for taunting, even though his celebration didn’t appear to be aimed at anyone on the Cardinals.
And then there was Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who sacked Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb on Sunday and then was warned — but not flagged — for apparently going close to the line on celebrating too much. NFL Network’s NFL Replay showed Suggs discussing the celebration with an official who warned him, “You can’t go to your knee.”
That was news to Suggs, who had no idea that going to the ground in celebration is against the rules.
“I can’t believe y’all,” Suggs told the official. “Offense scores a touchdown they can do everything in the book.”
Actually, offensive players aren’t allowed to go to the ground to celebrate touchdowns, either. But Suggs and the rest of the Ravens seem to think the officials are inconsistent in the way they call celebration penalties. I think they’re right.
Marvin Lewis takes shot at WVU and Rich Rodriguez regarding Pacman Jones
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2011, 1:11 PM EDT
Gone and nearly forgotten, Bengals cornerbackPacman Jones returned to the active roster of the Bengals last week after nearly a year away from the field due to a neck injury suffered in 2010. After a 63-yard punt return and a pulled hamstring in Seattle, Pacman has become extremely relevant as he prepares to return to Nashville for a game against the Titans, who made him the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft.
On Wednesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had a conference call with the Tennessee media. Reflecting on Pacman’s problems in the NFL, which culminated in a one-year suspension after two seasons in the league, Jones took a shot at West Virginia University and former coach Rich Rodriguez.
“It’s unfortunate a guy could go into college and spent three years on a college campus and not learn some of the things really they should learn,” Lewis said. “But hopefully he has learned those lessons now.”
Um, really? Look, I know I’ve got a Mountaineer bias. Still, I’ll acknowledge that, under Rodriguez, the bar when it comes to problem children was pretty low.
Best fantasy free agents Week 9
We're getting closer to crunch time for fantasy football. If you're still in need of some help, don't worry quite yet. Several players that could help your chances of making the playoffs remain free agents in a good amount of leagues. Here's a few:
Antonio Brown: Owned in 27.6 percent of ESPN leagues. If this guy is still a free agent after this week in your league, I really question who you're playing with. Brown has gone off the past two weeks, and he finished with nine catches for 67 yards and a touchdown against New England. With four teams on bye this week and wide receivers' hamstrings flaring up everywhere, Brown would be a solid pick up.
Early Doucet: Owned in 14 percent of ESPN leagues. Kevin Kolb has been anything but spectacular, yet he seems to be fond of Doucet. The fourth-year receiver has found the endzone in each of his past two matchups. If Kolb stays healthy enough to play this weekend against the Rams, Doucet could be in for another decent game.
Heath Miller: Owned in 43.2 percent of ESPN leagues. The Steelers have used Miller more often in the past four weeks, and what have they accomplished? Only a four game winning streak. If you're in need of a tight end, Miller is probably the best option still out there in over half of leagues.
Jonathan and Doug Baldwin (no relation): Owned in 5.3 percent and 20.8 percent respectively. We'll start with Jonathan Baldwin. The Chiefs started using their first-round draft pick more against the Chargers this week. After injuring his hand in a preseason locker room fight, Baldwin missed the first five games of 2011. He showed why the Chiefs drafted him so high, though, against San Diego, as he hauled in five catches for 82 yards and a score. There's no telling if he'll continue to put up numbers this big, but it's obvious that Kansas City knows he can play.
Doug Baldwin on the other hand was an undrafted free agent signed by Seattle after the lockout. He has made a noticeable impression with some solid performances so far, but owners were repelled by his Week 7 game where he failed to record any receptions. Don't fret, though, he was playing with Charlie Whitehurst that week. When Tarvaris has played he's been a fan of throwing to Baldwin. If you're receiving corps is depleted, either Baldwin might not be a bad option.
11/2 Wednesday morning one-liners
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 2, 2011, 8:29 AM EDT
Bills WR Stevie Johnson dressed as coach Chan Gailey for Halloween.
One piece of good news for the winless Dolphins: They have some rookies playing well.
Says Rodney Harrison of the Patriots, “I look at that secondary, and they’re playing really soft coverage, that bend-but-don’t-break defense. I hate that. I think you have to challenge your players more. You have to start blitzing, force the quarterback into making mistakes. I know you can’t stop everything. I know they were afraid of their speed. But sometimes you just got to go challenge them. And I just don’t see them doing it.”
The Jets’ offensive line is making progress.
Baltimore fans want to know which Ravens team is going to show up on Sunday against the Steelers.
The Bengals are getting big plays from their special teams.
Browns QB Colt McCoy is on pace to be the first Browns quarterback to run the ball 60 times in a season since 1973.
Said Steelers LB Larry Foote, “I’m getting more comfortable, which means I’m playing faster.”
The Texans are looking like locks to make the playoffs.
The Colts made a couple roster moves, waiving OL Michael Toudouze and releasing LB Cody Glenn from injured reserve.
Says Jaguars DE Aaron Kampman of this season, “It’s not where we planned on being, but we can’t do anything about that. I’ve been in this situation before. It’s not a whole lot of fun.”
Titans coach Mike Munchak has a tough decision between his $475,000 running back and his $9.25 million running back.
Some folks in Denver think the Broncos have a shot at Andrew Luck.
Chiefs coach Todd Haley wants his team to avoid a letdown: “We’ve got to be very cognizant of the fact they exerted a lot of energy,” Haley said. “It’s mental as much as anything else. You invest so much into it and that game went back and forth.”
For the Raiders, the path to the AFC West title is wide open.
The Chargers have concerns about injuries at running back.
For the Giants, it’s time for QB Eli Manning to prove he’s one of the league’s elite.
The Eagles blitzed just four times on 40 pass plays in their win over the Cowboys.
Mike Shanahan says the Redskins’ roster is more talented than last year, but it’s hard to tell by watching the team.
Says Lions WR Nate Burleson, “Like I said when I got here . . . Calvin Johnsonis the best receiver in the game. And he’s going out there and proving it week in and week out.”
The Packers lead the league with 32.9 points a game.
When Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli went down with a knee injury, it became time forJason Snelling to step up.
The Panthers have to get better on kick returns.
The Saints didn’t show much fire in their loss to the Rams.
The Buccaneers want to get WR Arrelious Benn more involved in the offense.
The Cardinals are paying the price for poor drafts.
Young defensive backs are playing an important role for the Rams.
Alex Boone is contributing to the 49ers’ offensive line after conquering his problem with alcohol.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll may be in the toughest spot of his coaching career.
Shaun King tees off on Jon Gruden
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2011, 9:05 AM EDT
Former NFL quarterback Shaun King, the starter in Tampa for part of 1999 and all of 2000, spent two years with the Bucs as a backup under former coach Jon Gruden. And King, whose media duties now include a radio show on WQYK-AM in Tampa, recently teed off on Gruden.
Sparked by Keyshawn Johnson’s recent criticism of Gruden, even though both men currently work for ESPN, King explained in detail his perception regarding Gruden’s coaching flaws.
The ultimate issue, King said, is Gruden’s inability to tell the truth to the grown men who populate an NFL locker room. Specifically, King said Gruden is “inherently dishonest.”
Kevin Kolb is day to day
Kevin Kolb (turf toe) isn't confident that he'll be able to practice on Wednesday.
Kolb's toe "has some color to it." He's going to handle the injury on a "day to day" basis, being careful not to hurt the team by playing if it's not ready. "Hopefully I will have a shot on Sunday," said Kolb. Arizona's backup is John Skelton, who completed a Tebow-like 47.6 percent of his 126 rookie-season passes.
Source: Kent Somers on Twitter
NFP's midseason MVP report Top 5
Matt Bowen - National Football Post
At the midway point of the 2011 NFL season, let’s talk about the MVP award. Here are my top five (plus five more that just missed the cut) as we head into the Week 9 schedule.
ICONIt was easy to make Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers my No.1 MVP candidate.1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: The Green Bay QB has thrown 20 TD passes and only 3 INTs to lead the Packers to a 7-0 record, but look beyond the numbers with Rodgers. He is the playing the best football in the NFL. And when you break down this offense, I still can’t come up with a solid game pan to match the Packers' personnel and the skill set of Rodgers. Blitz-man, zone pressure, Cover 2, etc. Right now, Rodgers is beating every scheme you can throw at him.
2. Fred Jackson, RB, Bills: Take a step back and really look at Chan Gailey’s system in Buffalo, because Jackson is the key player in this offense. The RB has posted over 1,000 yards of total offense (721 rushing, 353 receiving) and has 6 TDs to go along with it. Jackson has shown top tier ability to cut back, exploit the second level of the defense and is a tough matchup for a SS/LB in the passing game. Take him out of that offense and we aren’t talking about the Bills as a first place team with a 5-2 record.
3. Calvin Jonson, WR, Lions: Why can’t we put a WR on the list? In my opinion, the Johnson is the most explosive weapon in the NFL and he forces you to adapt your defensive game plan. The fade route inside of the 10-yard line vs. press-man, the deep dig, the post, 7 (corner route) and double-move vs. Cover 2, etc. Johnson can run the entire route tree, beat man coverage and get on a safety’s cushion in the deep half. Through eight games, Johnson has 11 TDs and 47 receptions for 804 yards. However, the key stat from a defensive perspective: Johnson is averaging 17.1 yards per catch for the 6-2 Lions.
4. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots: Rodgers has better numbers this season, but if there is a QB I am going to pick to go win a game for me in the fourth quarter, it is still Brady. The Patriots’ QB has thrown 18 TDs and 8 INTs this season along with 2,361 yards. Maybe I do have him too far down my list, but the key with Brady remains the same: if you want to beat him, you better be near perfect from a pressure and coverage standpoint. That will never change.
5. Matt Forte, RB, Bears: How many wins do you give to the Bears without Forte in the lineup? One? Maybe two? The Chicago RB has accounted for almost 50% of the total offense in the Bears' playbook, can run the screen game and has consistently shown the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. 672 yards rushing and 419 yards receiving for the all-purpose back in Chicago. An ideal fit for what Mike Martz wants to see from the RB position--and the numbers are legit.
My next five….
- Frank Gore, RB, 49ers
- Eli Manning, QB, Giants
- Terrell Suggs, OLB, Ravens
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
- Drew Brees, QB, Saints
- Eli Manning, QB, Giants
- Terrell Suggs, OLB, Ravens
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
- Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Tryout Tuesday
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2011, 1:10 AM EDT
Last Tuesday, receiver Terrell Owens worked out for no teams while 53 available players auditioned at facilities throughout the country. This Tuesday, T.O. once again was ignored.
One guy who wasn’t ignored was cornerback Perrish Cox (pictured). Though he has received little interest since being cut by the Broncos, the Redskins gave him a tryout despite pending charges arising from the alleged rape — and impregnation — of a woman who had passed out at his apartment in 2010. Cox’s trial is set for February 27.
Here’s the full tryout list for Tuesday, November 1, per a league source.
Falcons: running back Matt Asiata, Jason Davis, Billy Latsko.
Texans: linebackers Josh Bynes, David Nixon, Mike Rivera, Derrell Smith.
Colts: center Greg Ryan.
Dolphins: tackle Joel Bell; quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson; defensive backs Antareis Bryan, Ryan Jones, Brandon Underwood, Jonathan Wade, who was signed; running back Kareem Huggins; linebackers Rashad Jeanty and Nate Triplett; tight ends Ben Patrick and Richard Quinn.
Vikings: running back Aaron Brown, receiver Jamar Newsome, tackle Tyler Polumbus, defensive back C.J. Wilson.
Saints: defensive backs Michael Hamlin, Jonathan Nelson, Ricky Price, Andrew Sendejo.
Raiders: receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was signed.
Seahawks: linebacker Savion Frazier.
Redskins: quarterback R.J. Archer; defensive backs Travon Bellamy, Marcus Brown, Perrish Cox, David Jones, Fabian Washington; tight ends Daniel Hardy, Fendi Onobun, Derek Schouman.
Also, the Cardinals had a visit with fullback Reagan Maui’a, who signed a contract.
LeGarrette Blount back and ready to carry the load
Posted by Mike Florio on November 1, 2011, 11:51 PM EDT
Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount injured the MCL in his knee during a Week Five blowout loss to the 49ers. He missed two games, but he’ll be back on Sunday, when the Bucs meet the Saints again, three weeks after their first meeting of the season.
And with Earnest Graham out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon during Tampa’s loss to the Bears in London, Blount will be absorbing Graham’s duties as the third-down back.
“Oh yeah, I know I’m going to play third downs in this game,” Blount said Tuesday, per Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times. “I’m probably not going to play all of them, but I know I’m going to play quite a few of them. I’ve shown that I know the protections and I know the routes and everything and I can catch the ball, so that’s going to help us out tremendously. It’s going to let me stay in the game a little bit longer and play a lot more snaps, so I’m excited.”
Even though Blount missed two games with the knee injury, he was expected to be out even longer. “My recovery was a little bit faster than what we thought, so everything is going real well,” Blount said. “It’s looking good for this week.”
Blount’s return to health comes at a great time for the Bucs. “I know it was dire need during the bye week, I listened to it the whole bye week, how we didn’t have anybody healthy on the roster and all that stuff,” coach Raheem Morris said. “It was great. It was awesome. I had every running back in the nation call me to get a job.”
Well, at least Tiki tried.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)