Joe Flacco officially signed with the Baltimore Ravens and now has the opportunity to vie for the starting quarterback job. While Flacco is definitely the quarterback for the future in Baltimore, he’ll have competition in 2008 for the starting gig.
In addition to Flacco, the Ravens have quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Troy Smith on the roster. Boller hasn’t had much success in his career but he’s a veteran who has a lot of experience. While Smith is a youngster, he played well for the Ravens last year and his play at Ohio State showed what he’s capable of …read more

Darren McFadden, the first round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders, signed a $60 million contract with the club. The contract spans over six seasons.
This is a very important moment for McFadden because a lot of league experts openly wondered whether the Raiders would be able to sign McFadden. Last season, the Raiders couldn’t agree to a contract with JaMarcus Russell and Russell was forced to holdout into the season. That cost Russell basically his entire rookie year and slowed any development that would have occurred.
Now with McFadden in the fold for the entire training camp, he …read more

Marion Barber III, the projected starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, got a seven-year contract on Tuesday. The contract is reportedly worth approximately $45 – with about one-third of the contract guaranteed.
The fact that the Cowboys and Barber were able to agree on a contract is good news for both parties. Barber got the money and the recognition he wanted. The Cowboys locked up a major part of their offense.
In the last two season, Barber has been very good for Dallas. In 2006, he had 654 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. In …read more

Cedric Benson has had a tumultuous offseason, however Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith has stated that Benson remains the team’s starting running back. Cedric Benson was arrested earlier in the month while in Texas, however that event hasn’t appeared to change what the Bears expect out of him this upcoming season.
Benson in 2007 was a major disappointment. The team let Thomas Jones walk to allow Benson the room to grow. It just didn’t happen the way it was drawn up. Instead of having a breakout season, Benson spent most of the season struggling. He finished …read more

A number of late round draft picks fell into perfect situations where they may be able to shine. While these players shouldn’t be drafted in a redraft fantasy football league in 2008, they do hold value in dynasty leagues.
Lavelle Hawkins, Tennessee Titans
The Titans desperately need help at wide receiver and Lavelle Hawkins was the first wide receiver they took in the 2008 NFL Draft. They selected him with the 27th pick in the fourth round out of California. Hawkins isn’t a speedster but he can get open and catch the ball – two traits the Titans desperately …read more

There are some rumblings in Cleveland that Kellen Winslow, the Browns’ star tight end, might be unhappy with his contract. Winslow didn’t show up for a few organized team activities recently. Although the activities aren’t mandatory, there is speculation that Winslow’s absence is contract related.
Last season, Winslow had a very good fantasy football campaign. He had 82 catches, 1106 yards and five touchdowns. The 24-year-old tight end out of Miami became one of the best fantasy tight ends in the NFL.
Early in Winslow’s career, he suffered from a number of serious injuries. During that time, …read more

Although the Seattle Seahawks had other draft picks in the 2008 NFL Draft, their second round pick is likely their most important pick of the draft. The Seahawks picked John Carlson in the second round, who is a tight end out of Notre Dame.
Tight end has long been a trouble spot for the Seahawks. Either they’ve had a tight end that can block but can’t catch, or a tight end that can catch but can’t block. Carlson has a chance to be Seattle’s first tight end in a long time that can both catch and …read more

Minicamp for the Baltimore Ravens has been intense. Players are reporting that the hitting is often and the hitting is hard. Tight end Quinn Sypniewski was lost for the season during minicamp after tearing a knee ligament.
On Saturday, tempers were flaring during the minicamp. Two separate fights brought nearly the entire team to blows. Oniel Cousins and Amon Gordon started the first fight, while Corey Ivy and Frank Walker started the second fight.
New coach John Harbaugh has indicated that he believes that the fights are nothing major. Part of the reason why tension is high …read more

The Baltimore Ravens already have their first major injury of the 2008 NFL season. Quinn Sypniewski, a backup tight end, was lost for the season after tearing a knee ligament in minicamp. Sypniewski will need approximately nine months to fully heal.
During the 2007 season, Sypniewski played a larger than expected role due to starter Todd Heap struggling with injuries for most of the season. Sypniewski ended the season with 246 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-6 tight end out of the University of Colorado had his best game in Week 11 when he had six …read more

The Washington Redskins entered the 2008 NFL Draft with a major need at wide receiver. With the 34th pick of the draft, the Redskins decided to address that concern by picking Devin Thomas out of Michigan State. Thomas has a chance to play in his rookie season and has an outside chance of becoming a starter.
While Thomas only had one good season at Michigan State, it was one amazing season. Last year, Thomas had 79 catches, 1260 yards and eight touchdowns. At 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, Thomas has good size to make a lot of plays …read more