Browns add Peyton Hillis QB Brady Quinn will get all the press in the trade the Broncos and Browns completed on Sunday night, but don't sleep on RB Peyton Hillis. As a rooke in 2008, Hillis averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scored 5 TDs. He was under-used by HC Josh McDaniels this past season. Now in Cleveland, Hillis is the odds on favorite for goal-line work. At 6'2, 250-pounds, he doesn't offer much explosion but is a bull in short-yardage situations. Cleveland has talked all offseason about wanting to bring in a guy to complement RB Jerome Harrison. Hillis could be that guy.
Posted on 3/14/2010 7:54:38 PM
Broncos trade for Brady Quinn The Broncos and Browns have agreed on a trade that will send QB Brady Quinn to Denver in exchange for RB Peyton Hillis and a 2011 6th-round pick. The deal isn't surprising considering the Browns wanted to move Quinn and the Broncos were close to trading for him last offseason. Denver did good to "buy low" on Quinn, who was a 1st-round pick just 3 years ago. Quinn will come in and compete with QB Kyle Orton for Denver's starting job.
Posted on 3/14/2010 7:24:41 PM
LT signs with Jets Free-agent RB LaDainian Tomlinson has opted to sign with the Jets over the Vikings. LT signed the dotted line on a 2-year, $5.2 million deal with New York this afternoon. He'll join a backfield that includes RBs Shonn Greene and Leon Washington. Tomlinson will probably pick up 8-10 total touches per game and will likely steal more work from Washington than Greene. LT will be 31 before the season starts and doesn't offer the power or explosion that Greene does at this point. That being said, Tomlinson has found a nice landing spot here. The Jets are a run-first offense with an excellent offensive line. Look for LT to improve upon last season's 3.3 yards per carry average.
Posted on 3/14/2010 7:05:28 PM
Lions acquire Shaun Hill 49ers QB Shaun Hill has been dealt to the Lions for a 7th-round pick in next year's draft. Hill was expendable after the 49ers signed QB David Carr earlier in the offseason. Hill is not especially talented, but he should prove to be an upgrade over Drew Stanton as Matt Stafford's backup and insurance policy. For just a 7th-round pick, the move makes a lot of sense for the Lions.
Posted on 3/14/2010 3:33:02 PM
Jets interested in Brandon Marshall NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reports that the Jets are working on putting together a package to trade for Broncos WR Brandon Marshall. The package reportedly won't contain New York's 1st-round pick. It's tough to see Denver parting with Marshall without receiving a 1st-round pick in return, but with few teams showing interest, the price tag may be getting lower.
Posted on 3/14/2010 12:25:56 PM
Leon Washington could be ready by preseason Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is confident that RB Leon Washington will be ready by preseason. Washington is recovering from a broken leg he suffered last October. The original timetable put his availabilty for Week 1 in question, but it sounds like he's ahead of schedule. With the departure of RB Thomas Jones, Lil' Leon is in line for an increase in touches this season as long as he's healthy.
Posted on 3/14/2010 12:23:24 PM
Browns ink Jake Delhomme ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Browns and QB Jake Delhomme have come to terms on a 2-year deal. Cleveland now has 4 QBs on the roster with Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Brady Quinn, and Brett Ratliff. The latter 2 will likely be traded before the season starts. Kansas City will be the popular pick to land Quinn, but they have too much invested in QB Matt Cassel. Our money is on the Broncos, Panthers, or Rams to trade for Quinn. Meanwhile, Delhomme will battle with Wallace for the starting job. Wallace has experience in Mike Holmgren's offense and is probably a better QB at this point. Look for him to be under center Week 1.
Posted on 3/13/2010 6:35:52 PM
Redskins sign Larry Johnson The Redskins have signed RB Larry Johnson to a 3-year, $12 million contract. It gives them another over-the-hill RB to pair with Clinton Portis. L.J. averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last season with the Chiefs and Bengals. It's tough to see him doing much better this year behind Washington's below-average offensive line.
Posted on 3/13/2010 12:03:01 AM
Wes Welker also dealing with shoulder injury In addition to surgery on his torn ACL and MCL, the Boston Herald reports that Patriots WR Wes Welker is also rehabbing a torn rotator cuff. The recovery period for this injury isn't yet known, but Welker wasn't expected to be ready for the start of the 2010 season anyways. This is just another thing to worry about when he does come back.
Posted on 3/12/2010 11:55:37 PM
Knowshon Moreno stuck in a RBBC Despite being selected 12th overall in last year's draft, Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno found himself in a time-share with veteran RB Correll Buckhalter last season. And it doesn't sound like that'll change in 2010. Broncos HC Josh McDaniels was recently asked about his thoughts on using a multiple-back offense. "That's something we'll always be interested in," McDaniels replied. "If there's another player we can put into the mix and share carries, we'll never be averse to that." It sounds like McDaniels will continue to pattern his offensive philosophy after that of Patriots HC Bill Belichick. It'll be tough for Moreno to perform as more than a RB2 if he continues sharing carries.
Posted on 3/12/2010 11:19:55 AM
Browns add Ben Watson The Browns have signed TE Ben Watson to a 3-year, $12 million contract. Watson has loads of athleticism but was never able to put it together in New England. He's averaged just 28 catches, 323 yards, and 4 TDs per year over the past 3 seasons. We don't see his numbers improving much on an anemic Browns offense.
Posted on 3/12/2010 11:02:05 AM
Redskins eyeing Larry Johnson According to NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora, the Redskins "are very interested" in free-agent RB Larry Johnson. Besides a 107-yard game against the Browns in Week 12, LJ didn't show any signs of life in his stint with the Bengals last season. He's 30 years old now, although he only has about 1,500 career carries -- a relatively low number. Still, it's tough to see any type of revival coming for Johnson. Washington seems like a decent fit though. Clinton Portis is the only RB currently on the roster.
Posted on 3/11/2010 6:55:29 PM
Ravens re-sign Derrick Mason The Ravens have re-signed WR Derrick Mason to a 2-year deal. Mason turned 36 years old a few months ago but was still a productive possession receiver last year. He posted his 3rd straight 1,000-yard season, and his 7 TDs were his most since joining the Ravens in 2005. This coming season he'll be the team's #2 WR behind Anquan Boldin. It'll be unfamiliar territory for Mason, but it'll suit him well at this point in his career. Ravens QB Joe Flacco now has the pieces in place for a breakout campaign.
Posted on 3/10/2010 9:21:47 PM
Bengals sign Antonio Bryant The Bengals and WR Antonio Bryant have agreed to a 4-year, $28 million deal. Bryant struggled with injuries and poor QB play last season, posting only 37 catches for 585 yards and 3 TDs. But he's only 2 years removed from that big 1,248-yard, 7-TD season in 2008. There's no denying his injury history, but Bryant is an explosive playmaker when healthy. He can also be a headache in the locker room though. Coupled with WR Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals now have the biggest boom-or-bust WR tandem in the NFL. Should be fun in Cincinnati this year...
Posted on 3/10/2010 5:35:16 PM
RBBC in Chicago Bears OC Mike Martz confirmed that RBs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor will split the workload this coming season. "We're fortunate to have two starters," Martz said. "As you look around the National Football League, the teams that are running the ball well, they all have two starters ... It's not a 1-2 punch as much as either one of those guys can carry the load. They will share duties." Forte and Taylor are both adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, which makes both of them a good fit for Martz's scheme. But splitting carries behind a mediocre offensive line, neither is likely to produce as anything more than a low-end RB2 this year.
Posted on 3/9/2010 11:55:27 PM
Eagles pick up Michael Vick's bonus As expected, the Eagles picked up QB Michael Vick's $1.5 million roster bonus that came due on Tuesday. The move keeps Vick on the roster and gives the team more time to work out a trade, although most around the team believe he'll stay in Philly. If a deal is going to go down, it'll happen before the NFL Draft in late April.
Posted on 3/9/2010 11:51:34 PM
Chiefs sign Thomas Jones ESPN's Adam Schefter -- via his Blackberry, of course -- reports that the Chiefs have signed free-agent RB Thomas Jones to a 2-year deal worth $5 million. It's backup money, and that's what we expect Jones to be. The 31-year-old averaged an impressive 4.2 yards per carry in New York last season. But that was behind one of the best offensive lines in the game. He won't have that luxury in Kansas City. Expect the Chiefs to use the quicker and more explosive Jamaal Charles as their primary ball-carrier while getting Jones 8-10 touches per game. That being said, expect Jones to vulture the goal-line work. The move definitely puts a dent in Charles' value, but he still has top-10 upside.
Posted on 3/9/2010 5:45:37 PM
LT could land in Minnesota Free-agent RB LaDainian Tomlinson is scheduled to meet with the Vikings later this week to discuss a contract. Obviously, LT would play a minimal role in Minnesota's backfield, most likely as a change-of-pace back. It wouldn't be the best landing spot for his fantasy status, but it'd give him a shot at a Super Bowl. Plus it'd be fun to see Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson in the same backfield.
Posted on 3/9/2010 4:40:04 PM
Browns release Derek Anderson The Browns have released QB Derek Anderson. This was expected after the team traded for QB Senece Wallace on Monday. Anderson came out of nowhere in 2007 to post 3,787 passing yards and 29 TDs. But he's struggled mightily the past 2 seasons, totaling just 12 TDs and 18 INTs. That career year will get him another contract though. The Cardinals and Rams could be interested.
Posted on 3/9/2010 2:53:47 PM
Reggie Brown traded to Bucs The Bucs have acquired WR Reggie Brown from the Eagles in exchange for a 2011 6th-round pick. Brown disappeared in Philly the past 2 seasons, totaling just 407 yards and 1 TD in 23 games. But he showed some upside in his sophomore season back in 2006, racking up 816 yards and 8 scores. On most teams, his best-case scenario would be winning the #3 WR job. But on a Bucs team whose top-3 WRs are Maurice Stovall, Michael Clayton, and Sammie Stroughter, Brown has a chance to crack the starting lineup this fall. Even so, he won't be worth more than a late-round flier in your fantasy draft.
Posted on 3/9/2010 12:23:05 AM
Browns acquire Seneca Wallace The Browns and Seahawks have completed a trade that will send QB Seneca Wallace to Cleveland in return for a late-round pick in the 2011 Draft. Wallace is well-versed in new Browns President Mike Holmgren's offense. In limited action, he's shown the ability to move an offense. His career TD:INT ratio stands at 25:14. Don't be surprised if he makes a strong run at Cleveland's starting QB spot this summer. His competition will be Brady Quinn and possibly a rookie QB.
Posted on 3/9/2010 12:16:17 AM
Aaron Kampman signs with Jags The Jaguars have signed DE Aaron Kampman to a 4-year deal worth $26 million. Kampman should upgrade the Jags pass rush, although it remains to be seen what kind of burst he has coming off a torn ACL in November. Ideally, he'll make a full recovery from the injury and help out a Jags defense that registered just 14 sacks all of last season. Expect Kampman to enjoy a bit of a rebound season now that he's back playing in a 4-3 defense.
Posted on 3/8/2010 10:25:06 PM
Raiders finally cut Javon Walker The Raiders have cut ties with WR Javon Walker. We're not sure what took them so long. After signing a huge deal with the team prior to the 2008 season, Walker totaled just 15 catches for 196 yards and 1 TD in 2 seasons with the club. He was never healthy in Oakland and appeared in just 11 games. At 31 years old, Walker has nothing left in the tank. His career is likely over.
Posted on 3/8/2010 10:23:15 PM
Chiefs re-sign Chris Chambers The Chiefs have re-signed WR Chris Chambers to a 3-year deal worth $15 million. Chambers revived his career after being scooped up by the Chiefs midway through last season. From Week 9 on, he posted 608 yards and 4 TDs. But he'll be 32 before the 2010 season kicks off. He's best-suited for the slot at this point. Kansas City will still look to address the WR position early in this April's NFL Draft, possibly targeting Oklahoma St. WR Dez Bryant in the 1st round.
Posted on 3/8/2010 10:19:04 PM
Dolphins bring back Chad Pennington The Dolphins have brought back QB Chad Pennington on a 1-year deal. The 34-year-old underwent shoulder surgery for the 3rd time this offseason. He's not a threat to QB Chad Henne's starting job.
Posted on 3/6/2010 3:35:18 PM
Giants ink Antrel Rolle The Giants and FS Antrel Rolle have agreed on a 5-year, $37 million contract. This is a desperate move by a team that was desperate for help in the secondary. Rolle is good in coverage, but he's a major liability against the run. He's an upgrade for the G-Men, but they overpaid.
Posted on 3/6/2010 3:28:50 PM
Falcons sign Dunta Robinson The Falcons have signed free-agent CB Dunta Robinson to a 6-year, $57 million contract. The deal makes Robinson the NFL's 2nd-highest paid CB behind only Nnamdi Asomugha. Atlanta overpaid a bit here, but their pass defense was awful last season and Robinson provides a big upgrade.
Posted on 3/6/2010 3:25:05 PM
Seahawks interested in Brandon Marshall The Seahawks are reportedly showing interest in restricted free-agent WR Brandon Marshall. The Broncos tendered their star WR at the highest level, so they'd receive Seattle's 1st and 3rd-round picks if they choose not to match the Seahawks' contract offer. The two sides could also work out a trade. Stay tuned.
Posted on 3/6/2010 3:20:13 PM
Ravens acquire Anquan Boldin The Ravens and Cardinals have finalized a trade that will send WR Anquan Boldin and a 5th-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for a 3rd and 4th. The big winner here is Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Boldin will give him the most dangerous weapon he's had to work with at the NFL level. If WR Derrick Mason returns, Flacco will have top-10 fantasy potential in 2010. Boldin's value takes a slight hit as he moves from one of the league's top passing offenses to a mediocre one. In Arizona, WRs Steve Breaston and Early Doucet will battle for the #2 WR job. The winner will have significant fantasy upside.
Posted on 3/6/2010 3:10:22 PM
Kevin Walter re-signs with Houston The Texans have re-signed WR Kevin Walter to a multi-year deal. The general feeling was that Walter would leave town, but he'll return to Houston as the WR2. Walter's numbers were down last year after his breakout 2008 season, but he's plenty capable of a bounce back year, especially with that dynamic passing game. He'll be one to keep an eye on when summer rolls around.
Posted on 3/5/2010 7:47:17 PM
Bears sign Julius Peppers According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Bears have signed DE Julius Peppers to a 6-year deal that's believed to include $40 million in the first 3 years. Wow. The Bears were expected to make a splash in free agency, and they've wasted no time following through. Bringing Peppers aboard shores up a defensive line that already includes DT Tommy Harris and DE Alex Brown. While the Bears broke the bank to get Peppers, it was a much needed move that should bring some stability back to their once proud defense. There's no reason to think he won't post another 10+ sack campaign in his first year in the Windy City.
Posted on 3/5/2010 3:21:37 PM
Chester Taylor signs with Chicago The Bears have signed RB Chester Taylor to a four-year contract worth $12.5 million, according to a the Chicago Sun-Times. Taylor -- who turns 31 in September -- will likely split carries with 2nd year dud Matt Forte. Depending on how things shake out this summer, Chicago may become a tricky backfield situation to figure out for fantasy purposes.
Posted on 3/5/2010 2:18:00 PM
Lions ink Nate Burleson The Lions have signed WR Nate Burleson to a 5-year $25 million dollar deal that includes $11 million in guarantees. Detroit badly needed to upgrade opposite Calvin Johnson, and they accomplished that with this move. While they overpaid a bit for the services of Burleson, he should provide borderline WR3 numbers for the upcoming fantasy season.
Posted on 3/5/2010 2:08:26 PM
Chargers deal Antonio Cromartie The Chargers have dealt CB Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets in exchange for a conditional 3rd round pick in 2011. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the pick can become a 2nd rounder if Cromartie registers a set amount of playing time and the Jets perform up to a particular standard. Considering Cromartie's talent -- and Rex Ryan's likelihood of making the most out of that talent -- we think the Jets made a solid move here. Without a doubt, they now have the best CB tandem in the league.
Posted on 3/5/2010 12:04:42 AM
Jake Delhomme released The Panthers have released QB Jake Delhomme, ending his 7 year stay with the club. The move likely means Carolina will go with the much younger Matt Moore at QB, who showed some real promise last season. Delhomme will look to latch on elsewhere as a backup, as he no longer has the skill set to be an effective NFL starter.
Posted on 3/4/2010 11:51:20 PM
Bengals release Laveranues Coles The Bengals have released WR Laveranues Coles after just one year with the team. Coles was a complete flop, posting a feeble 43-514-5 line in his lone season in Cincy. Still, with his track record, the 32-year old is likely to catch on elsewhere. With his skills in obvious decline, he'll need to land in the right situation to be trusted again in fantasy circles.
Posted on 3/4/2010 6:00:48 PM
Darren Sproles to stay in San Diego Chargers RB Darren Sproles has been tendered by the team at a 1st and 3rd round level. This is a surprise after San Diego seemed to make it clear that they would let Sproles test the free agent waters. As things stand now, he's due to make $7.27 million during the 2010-2011 season. With the 1st and 3rd round tender placed on him, don't expect any teams to show interest in the diminutive Sproles.
Posted on 3/4/2010 3:45:19 PM
Anquan Boldin available for a 3rd? According to the NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, the Cardinals are believed to be looking for a 3rd round draft pick in a trade involving WR Anquan Boldin. If true, the Cards will get a lot of inquiries about Boldin in the coming days. While he is 30 years old and presents a fairly sizable injury risk, a 3rd rounder would be a steal for a team in dire need of WR help (like Miami or Baltimore).
Posted on 3/4/2010 3:22:05 PM
Greg Olsen on the block? The hottest rumor floating around the Combine these past few days was that Bears TE Greg Olsen is on the trade block. It makes sense considering Bears new OC Mike Martz has never utilized the TE in his passing attack. Olsen is just 24-years-old and is already a top-10 TE in the league. We could see the Patriots, Dolphins, and Rams being interested.
Posted on 3/2/2010 7:27:08 PM
Bears release Orlando Pace The Bears have released LT Orlando Pace. The 34-year-old struggled mightily this past season and is clearly in the midst of a steep decline. He'll have trouble finding a starting job this offseason. Chris Williams will take over as the Bears LT.
Posted on 3/2/2010 12:09:59 AM
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