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 on the football field.

Flacco was the Ravens’ first round pick in the 2008 draft and he may very will see some snaps late in the year. However, it is doubtful that the Ravens will give him the job right away. Even if they do, Flacco won’t be much of a fantasy football asset in 2008. The Ravens don’t have many offensive weapons and typically rookie quarterbacks don’t do much in fantasy football.

In fantasy football dynasty league, Flacco is a long-term prospect who could become a quality starter in a few years.

Can Joe Flacco win the starting quarterback job in Baltimore?

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 has a great shot of becoming the team’s starter. As a starter, McFadden’s fantasy football stock would rise immensely. He’d go from a fourth round to a late second to early third round pick. After seeing what Adrian Peterson did last year for the Minnesota Vikings, it’d be hard to overlook McFadden this year.

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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 2007, Barber had 975 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.

In 2008, you can expect Barber’s rushing attempts to rise. Former starter Julius Jones signed with the Seattle Seahawks. The Cowboys replaced him with rookie Felix Jones, who the Cowboys acquired in the 2008 NFL Draft. Jones will likely be second in the depth charts and he’ll be used as a change of pace back.

In 2008 fantasy football drafts, Barber is now either a late first round pick or an early second round pick. He has a lot of touchdowns over the last two years and his role will be increased. Additionally, he’ll be in a high powered offense that should give him plenty of touchdown opportunities. There is a lot to like about Barber in 2008.

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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 the 2007 season with 674 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2008, the Bears obviously need much better production from their starting running back. Benson will get another shot to prove he’s that man but Chicago will be forced to make a move if he doesn’t improve.

If the Bears make a move at running back, they have three options behind Benson at the moment. Returning players Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe join rookie Matt Forte to comprise the backup running backs on Chicago’s roster.

With the erratic Rex Grossman at quarterback, the Bears desperately need a dependable starting running back. Will Benson be the man for the job? We can only wait and see.

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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 need.

Jacob Tamme, Indianapolis Colts
In the fourth round, the Colts took tight end Jacob Tamme. While it was a little bit of a reach, the Colts desperately need a backup tight end. With Dallas Clark being injury prone and Ben Utecht gone to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tamme could be a long-term answer at tight end.

Jerome Felton, Detroit Lions
The Lions need a running back and they took Jerome Felton in the fifth round. He doesn’t have great potential because he’s not overly fast or elusive, but he’s a powerful runner who could potentially become a goal line back – which could make him valuable down the line in fantasy football.

Matt Flynn, Green Bay Packers
The Packers drafted quarterback Matt Flynn in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With Brett Favre seemingly retired, the Packers have room for quarterbacks on their roster. While Flynn obviously won’t be in the mix to start as a rookie, he could be a solution down the road.

Could Matt Flynn Get a Shot with Brett Favre Retired?

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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, the Browns restructured Winslow’s contract. Now that Winslow has his career back on track, it’s possible that Winslow wants a bump in pay.

If Winslow doesn’t start showing up in Cleveland for workouts, his fantasy football stock will start dropping. Winslow has a history of questionable off the field moves and he could be aiming toward a contract hold out. If that’s the case, it’s unlikely that the Browns will budge.

As it stands, Winslow is one of the best fantasy football tight ends heading into the 2008 NFL season. If this contract dispute comes to fruition, who would the Browns look at to fill Winslow spot at tight end? One option is Martin Rucker, a fourth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

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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 block.

At 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, Carlson definitely has the size to block. He wasn’t much of a blocker at Notre Dame, but he with further coaching he can improve that part of his game.

At times in college, Carlson looked like a great receiving tight end. However, his senior season was a bit of a disappointment. He caught 40 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns. In the scouting combine, Carlson also clocked out as a slower than average tight end. Additionally, Carlson struggled with drops in his college career.

That said, Carlson runs good routes and has shown flashes of being an acrobatic receiver. The Seahawks will hope that he’s capable of starting and playing almost every down. If he can become the full-time tight end, his fantasy potential should be relatively high. Keep an eye on him but as a full-time starter, Carlson is a nice sleeper as a backup tight end in fantasy football.

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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 is due to the players trying to learn offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s new system. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was seen laughing during the fights.

In fantasy football terms, it’s good to see that the Ravens are living up to their reputation as being a fiery team. Their defense has been a fantasy disappointment in recent years. This could be a sign that Harbaugh has the team back to its old fiery ways.

Offensively, the Ravens can’t be as bad as they were in recent years. They’ll be able to move the ball, even if it takes 2008 NFL draft pick Joe Flacco to do it.

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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 catches for 53 yards.

For the 2008 season, the Ravens will have to hope that Heap can remain healthy. Expect Daniel Wilcox to be the backup at tight end and for Sypniewski to be placed on IR. The Ravens did not draft a tight end in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Quinn Sypniewski, Baltimore Ravens

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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 – especially near the endzone.

The questions surrounding Thomas mostly concern his experience. He doesn’t have many snaps on his resume and could face a steep learning curve in the NFL. That said, he’s a gifted athlete who is entering a situation where he can get a lot of action.

In fantasy football, Thomas would be a late round flyer in a draft. He may become a starter eventually but there’s a larger chance that he’ll not see too much action. The best route to take with Thomas is not to draft him but keep an eye on him when he’s on the waiver wire. If he breaks into the starting lineup, that’d be the time to pick him up.

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