by John Tuvey
Senior NFL Analyst @ The Huddle
#41) Javon Ringer RB Ht: 5-9 Wt: 205 Drafted 5.37 by the Tennessee Titans
Dynasty Value: The Titans like to run the ball. A lot. And at present they have speedy Chris Johnson and bulky LenDale White sharing the workload. But there was offseason talk about White being dealt, and one of the concerns about Johnson coming out of college was how he’d hold up physically—and his injury in the Titans’ playoff loss certainly extends that concern. So all Ringer needs to do to position himself for a role in this organization is beat out the likes of Quinton Ganther and 2007 second-round bust Chris Henry. Given his success at Michigan State, you have to like his chances.
2009 Considerations: Before you write off Ringer as a dynasty-only guy, I have two words for you: Tashard Choice. Stranger things have happened than a team with depth at running back being forced to turn to a rookie, and Ringer certainly fits that description. Even better, Ringer impressed Jeff Fisher during OTAs, as evidenced by quotes such as “He looks like a veteran” and “He’s picking up everything” and “He's really a good running back without the ball, and I think that's the mark of a good young running back—how they play without the ball.” Doesn’t sound as if Fisher would lose any sleep if he were forced to plug Ringer into the lineup this season. If you leave your drauction with Johnson or White, make sure you have Ringer on speed dial.
#42) Sammie Stroughter WR Ht: 5-9 Wt: 189 Drafted 7.24 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dynasty Value: Stroughter’s strong minicamp showing, tempered somewhat by some missed OTA time with a strained hamstring, has escalated his time-table. Not that the Bucs were all that stocked at wide receiver, but head coach Raheem Morris said after minicamp that Stroughter had already played his way into Tampa Bay’s top four receivers. His size suggests that he’ll most effective working out of the slot, and the Bucs currently have a pair of bigger receivers on the outside. Stroughter will also have the advantage of developing right alongside Morris’ hand-picked quarterback of the future, Josh Freeman.
2009 Considerations: While Stroughter could see immediate playing time as the Bucs’ third receiver—beating out the likes of Dexter Jackson and Maurice Stovall hardly seems like much of a chore—there are enough other questions in Tampa Bay to suggest keeping him on the fantasy backburner. With a new coach and offensive coordinator, not to mention either an inexperienced or rookie quarterback, there are bound to be growing pains. As it stands the Bucs’ strength projects to be their running game, so the fantasy value of a rookie third receiver in such a scheme is minimal at best.
#43) Jeremiah Johnson RB Ht: 5-9 Wt: 220 Undrafted; signed by the Houston Texans
Dynasty Value: You have to like a guy who averaged better than six yards a carry in each of his four college seasons and played well enough as a junior to take carries from current Panther Jonathan Stewart. But if Johnson is so good, why did he go undrafted? One word: injuries. Johnson tore up his knee as a junior, then played his entire senior season with a dislocated shoulder that he’d pop back into place by himself to stay in games. If he can find a way to stay healthy—and the reduced workload of a complementary role might be just the ticket—Johnson offers more upside than the Texans’ current collection of backs (Chris Brown, Ryan Moats, fellow undrafted rookie Arian Foster) they hope can alleviate some of Steve Slaton’s burden.
2009 Considerations: The Texans asked Johnson to drop 10 pounds by the start of training camp, and he’s planning to wear a brace to hold his shoulder in place until he can have surgery. It would take some doing for Johnson to wind up with enough carries in year one to be fantasy relevant, but he could wind up earning handcuff duties and a spot on fantasy rosters as insurance. His skill set and experience in a zone-blocking system translate well to the Texans’ scheme, so the adjustment from college to the pros doesn’t present a major hurdle. If you’re drafting Slaton this year, keep an eye on the backup battle knowing that Johnson is fully capable of stepping in and surprising—just like Slaton did a year ago.
#44) Derrick Williams WR Ht: 6-0 Wt: 194 Drafted 3.18 by the Detroit Lions
Dynasty Value: Williams was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school, and while his Penn State career wasn’t exactly a disappointment it was hardly the memory-maker many anticipated. So he comes to the pros with unrealized potential—and what better team to wind up with than the Lions? Detroit is actually pretty set at wide receiver, especially after adding Dennis Northcutt to work in the slot—where Williams would likely have played, at least at first. Williams brings return skills to the table as well as some quarterback experience, so expect the Lions to use him on special teams and in Wildcat formations. Down the road, if he realizes some of that considerable potential he may wind up as a decent No. 2 to Calvin Johnson.
2009 Considerations: You already have the difficult college-to-pro transition for a wide receiver. Mix in the fact that a hamstring injury knocked Williams out of Detroit’s final round of OTAs and the rookie definitely has an uphill climb to make an impact in his first NFL season. Treat him as an indigent man’s Percy Harvin: some return work, some Wildcat and backfield work, but in Williams’ case the presence of Northcutt will have a far more dramatic impact on his playing time than Bobby Wade’s will on Harvin in Minnesota.
#45) James Casey TE Ht: 6-3 Wt: 246 Drafted 5.16 by the Houston Texans
Dynasty Value: There’s much to love about Casey’s versatility. A former White Sox minor leaguer, Casey returned to football after four baseball seasons and played just about every position at Rice—including quarterback. The Texans compare him to another QB-turned-TE, Owen Daniels—whose contract issues may be what opens the door for Casey in Houston. At this stage of his development he’s more pass-catcher than blocker, but the Texans can use him in the slot, at H-back, as a fullback, or even in the Wildcat. Considering how the Texans have developed Daniels, and how enamored they are with Casey, chances are pretty good that at some point he’ll become a valued member of the Houston passing game.
2009 Considerations: The problem with being versatile is that you don’t really get to specialize. The Texans may get creative with getting Casey on the field… or they may just use him in special teams while working on his blocking and developing his tight end skills. Or, if Daniels expresses his dissatisfaction with the one-year tender he signed and sits out, Casey and fellow rookie Anthony Hill might be thrust into action. That would be asking a lot of Casey in year one, but you’d have to believe the Houston coaches would put him in situations where he could have success. At this point he’s not draftable, but if the Daniels saga stretches into August it’s worth revisiting.
#46) Deon Butler WR Ht: 5-10 Wt: 182 Drafted 3.27 by the Seattle Seahawks
Dynasty Value: Butler comes to Seattle after breaking former Seahawk Bobby Engram’s record for receptions at Penn State, and that might be an apt comparison for Butler’s expected career. He lacks prototypical size for an NFL receiver, so he may be destined to work out of the slot—a role Engram embraced and has turned into a solid NFL run. Butler has decent hands, better speed than you might expect, and is a good route-runner. He’s a good fit for the Seattle offense, though by the time he’s in a position to make an impact Matt Hasselbeck may no longer be at the helm.
2009 Considerations: The Seahawks are pretty set at receiver with T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, and Nate Burleson all ahead of Butler on the depth chart. But Branch and even Burleson have been known to encounter injuries, so there’s a possibility Butler works his way into some playing time in the Seattle receiver rotation. That possibility is not so great as to require you to save a fantasy roster spot for Butler, but should Branch and/or Burleson succumb to injury he’d be worth a look in larger leagues.
#47) Richard Quinn TE Ht: 6-4 Wt: 264 Drafted 2.32 by the Denver Broncos
Dynasty Value: Trading two third-round picks to move up to the last pick of the first day, and then taking a tight end with 12 career receptions, did not receive warm reviews in the Mile High City. But in Quinn, whose underuse stemmed more from a Tar Heel receiving corps that included three 2009 NFL draftees and his own blocking skills than any lack of pass-catching acumen, new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels sees a Daniel Graham clone. The eight-year veteran will have a chance to mentor Quinn, and the duo could provide a formidable jumbo package at the stripe. Quinn flashed decent hands during predraft workouts, so while he’ll never be Antonio Gates or Jason Witten he could certainly carve out some value in Denver’s Patriots West system.
2009 Considerations: Graham still has a little left in the tank, and for a pure pass-catching tight end the Broncos have Tony Scheffler, so Quinn shouldn’t appear on your fantasy drauction-day radar. He could get some bye-week plug-in interest later in the season, as Quinn’s blocking ability will at minimum get him on the field, but that will only come if Graham is down with an injury or the Broncos have written off 2009 and are auditioning players for the future.
#48) Nate Davis QB Ht: 6-1 Wt: 226 Drafted 5.35 by the San Francisco 49ers
Dynasty Value: Davis was considered one of the top quarterback prospects until a couple of bad games late in the season sabotaged his draft stock. It didn’t help that Davis also deals with a learning disorder that makes reading and writing difficult. He didn’t seem to have any issues with the Ball State playbook, and while he’s not the 6-5 stud with a rocket arm Central Casting prefers for its quarterbacks, he’s proven that he can play. The future of the position in San Francisco is far from settled, and if Shaun Hill wins the job during training camp Davis will likely supplant Alex Smith as the Niners’ quarterback of the future. As an added bonus, he’d get to develop alongside Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree, locks to be the 49ers receivers of the future.
2009 Considerations: You won’t likely see any 49er quarterback drafted except in the largest of leagues, so if as expected Davis is sitting third on the depth chart come September he won’t warrant a sniff in redraft leagues. But it’s worth keeping an eye on his development, and it’s not unfathomable to see him wind up in a Tyler Thigpen- or Shaun Hill-type situation later this year.
#49) Brooks Foster WR Ht: 6-1 Wt: 211 Drafted 5.24 by the St. Louis Rams
Dynasty Value: Foster comes from a North Carolina receiver rotation that was downright stacked (Giants first-rounder Hakeem Nicks, Patriots third-rounder Brandon Tate), so his college numbers weren’t all that impressive. However, he has good size and athleticism; following the 2005 football season he walked on to the Tar Heels basketball team and played in five games for the NCAA champs. Those attributes always attractive to coaching staffs who feel they can develop talent, and with Torry Holt out of the picture there should be a place for Foster in St. Louis if he’s able to harness some of that athleticism.
2009 Considerations: Anything read here must be prefaced by this quote from new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo regarding Foster: “We need a little bit of time with him.” A Rams receiver rotation that includes Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, Keenan Burton, and Derek Stanley doesn’t appear to be difficult to crack, but it sounds as if St. Louis plans to bring Foster along slowly. He’s a name to keep in mind should the Rams show acumen in piling up passing stats while playing from behind in 2009, but as it stands right now he’s more of a free agent pool candidate than someone worthy of a fantasy roster spot.
#50) Mike Teel QB Ht: 6-0 Wt: 183 Drafted 6.5 by the Seattle Seahawks
Dynasty Value: Mike Holmgren claimed Matt Hasselbeck off the scrap heap and developed him into the Seahawks’ starter. And with the end in sight for Hasselbeck, Seattle may be looking to do the same with Teel. He’ll have to beat out Jeff Rowe for the right to hold a clipboard, but his quick release and the moxie he demonstrated in revitalizing the Rutgers football program give him a leg up. It’s hardly a certainty he’s Seattle’s quarterback of the future, but right now he’s in position to get the grooming.
2009 Considerations: Hasselbeck battled back problems last year and Seneca Wallace filled in adequately while Charlie Frye did not. You could likely expect the same from Teel should he be thrust into the same situation, though he at least might get to work with a receiving corps that wasn’t gutted by injuries. Teel doesn’t belong on your redraft cheat sheet, and odds are there are 50 or so names you could cycle through before getting to his neighborhood this year.