August 19th, 2005

Conquest

Value Pick: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (14th Round) figures to be the second option in an up and coming offense. It worked for Reggie Wayne and Nate Burleson last year.
Huh?!: The owner elected to go with a mainly Yahoo selected defense. Never a good recipe.
Sleeper Alert: Dallas Clark replaces Marcus Pollard as the tight end in the potent Indy attack.
Risk/Reward: Julius Peppers will be a risk/reward from week to week. He can record multiple sacks and turnovers in a game or be shutout.
Bottom Line: It would take many things to fall into place for this team to contend.

The Token Bad Team

Value Pick: Formerly one of the top backs in the league, Ahman Green fell to the 19th pick.
Huh?!: Travis Henry with the 22nd pick.
Sleeper Alert: DeShaun Foster is the leading candidate to emerge from a very muddled Carolina running back situation. If he does, he should produce.
Risk/Reward: Michael Vick can be superman with his feet or look like a Bears QB with his arm. You never know what you’ll get.
Bottom Line: There’s reason to expect improvement but a thin WR corps could be costly.

Color Commentary

Value Pick: Former 2000 yard back Jamal Lewis goes 18th overall.
Huh?!: Ricky Williams found a home with the Color Commentary crew.
Sleeper Alert: Larry Fitzgerald (10th round) is a star in the making.
Risk/Reward: The owner drafted three defensive stars between rounds five and nine. He figures to have a stout D, but could lack vital offensive depth.
Bottom Line: Two years ago, Priest Holmes and Jamal Lewis on the same team would be a coup, now it just means you have a chance if things break right.

Bushwood

Value Pick: Javon Walker (37th Pick) presumably slipped due to his holdout, but he was one of the top WRs in 2004.
Huh?!: The owner elected to forego defense…entirely!
Sleeper Alert: Michael Clayton finished ’04 on a hot streak and could pick up right where he left off.
Risk/Reward: Terrell Owens is the ultimate risk/reward. Who knows if he’ll even be playing come mid-season.
Bottom Line: The owner bought himself some more time to evaluate offensive players before selecting his defense; a unique approach.

Bent Over Front Desk

Value Pick: Clinton Portis was the 3rd pick in ’04, he fell to 25th this season.
Huh?!: The king of the running backs only took three in the whole draft.
Sleeper Alert: If T.O. acts up, Greg Lewis figures to be a main beneficiary.
Risk/Reward: Dan Morgan is either a defensive force or one of the walking wonded.
Bottom Line: Drafted better this year. Is that bad news for the opposition?

$h!t Kickers

Value Pick: Picked up four quality running backs (James, J. Jones, Westbrook, Dunn) in the first four rounds.
Huh?!: Placing your fate in Kerry Collins’s hands is a dangerous policy.
Sleeper Alert: L.J. Smith is an up and coming tight end (also see: T.O. factor).
Risk/Reward: Steve Smith, fresh off a severe injury, was the team’s first WR taken.
Bottom Line: Unveiled a new strategy, will it lead to more consistency?

Da Bears

Value Pick: Lance Briggs, in the 16th round, I guess.
Huh?!: The Bus pulled into the station…in the third round?!
Sleeper Alert: Larry Johnson could be a heck of a pick…if Priest Holmes goes down anyway.
Risk/Reward: A team of veterans…are they too old?
Bottom Line: One championship was surprising enough, a repeat and the apocalypse might be near.

!oohaY

Value Pick: Torry Holt, one of the top WRs of the last several years, goes 28th overall.
Huh?!: The only ‘Huh’, is how others passed on Holt, Jerry Porter, and Deion Branch allowing !oohaY to snatch them up.
Sleeper Alert: Branch was the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl. He looks ready for a big season.
Risk/Reward: Matt Hasselbeck has been notoriously inconsistent in his career.
Bottom Line: Has a great receiving corps; this owner may have a contender with some slight tinkering.

Raging Bucs

Value Pick: Marc Bulger (49th overall) is primed for a breakout season.
Huh?!: Tatum Bell is not even Denver’s starting RB as of now. Taking him in the third round was startling.
Sleeper Alert: Ashley Lelie improves each year and some think he could have a monster 2005.
Risk/Reward: Michael Bennett and Fred Taylor…everyone knows the story here.
Bottom Line: If healthy, this team could be a threat, that is a very, very big if.

Bordeaux Botswanians

Value Pick: Brett Favre (50th overall) is a perennial top ten QB.
Huh?!: Drew Bennett is the only quality WR on the roster.
Sleeper Alert: Steven Jackson is ready to romp now that Marshall Faulk is stepping aside.
Risk/Reward: Chris Brown…see Michael Bennett and Fred Taylor.
Bottom Line: This franchise has fallen on hard times. They have their work in store for them.