Posts tagged DustinKeller at FanHouse

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Chad Pennington enters 2008 trying to prove yet again that he -- wait, what? Who? Really? Didn't he retire? Oh. I see. It doesn't seem like Brett Favre wants to play in New York this year, he's basically said so much in the most diplomatic way possible, which means this is the year where Favre stops having fun. This is the year he stops looking like a kid again, to support the cliche. And it can be argued that that magic has perpetuated itself, and has been the reason Favre is still considered -- rightfully or not -- one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Without it, I can imagine 2008 being a disaster for Favre -- bad play and missed games. And then the New York media jumps in and the misery just compounds. That's how I see 2008 rolling. Oh, plus, they don't have a decent backup quarterback. Heat Index: 6

So it appears I wasted my time earlier in the week when I figured the Packers were lying about there being a QB competition in camp. Of course, they were. I just was wrong in reference to how they were lying. Turns out they never had any plans for good ol' Brett to stay in the organization.

And now he's playing in New York, following in the footsteps of Broadway Joe.

We're gonna hit this from a fantasy perspective, and the move affects a lot of people.
Brett Favre -- He loses some value from where he'd be if he was still in Green Bay. The surrounding cast for the Jets isn't quite as stout. I'd actually rank him right behind the other quarterback in New York who has won one Super Bowl, which makes him our No. 14 QB.

Aaron Rodgers -- Right where we had him. He seems to be dealing well with the pressure right now because he hasn't snapped. Seriously, he's got kids telling him they hate him and he sucks everyday in addition to the thousand microphones in his face asking him about replacing Favre. There's obviously a strong mental makeup in there.

There are tons of weapons on the team. People thinking the Packers are going to suck because of this trade are severely overreacting.

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, Fantasy FanHouse is here to preview each and every team. Listen closely, you're almost guaranteed to win your FREE fantasy football league, only over at Fleaflicker.

Meet The ...
Future home of Brett Favre! Oh, no. Nevermind, he's not going there. But maybe he is? Doubtful. It's a really important issue for our purposes, but for now you have to assume he's not coming. You don't want to vastly overrate the receivers, since they aren't incredibly stellar to begin with. Please don't get me wrong, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are quality NFL receivers, but they aren't stars. With Kellen Clemens or Chad Pennington throwing to them, they aren't overly valuable fantasy commodities. They would be with Favre, but you can't assume he'll get signed in your draft if he hasn't yet. That would make either receiver a bust. Overall, you have "mostly unproven" versus "can't throw the ball 25 yards."

The Breakout
I already spent quite a bit of time chronicling the reasons that Thomas Jones is completely undervalued in fantasy circles these days. I won't go through it again. I will make an additional pick though: Dustin Keller. He's a lower-tier backup TE, sure, but he'll be dirt cheap. If you play in a large league where 25 TEs get drafted, take a late flier on him. I could see 500 yards and a small handful of red zone TDs.

EA Sports recently held its second annual Rookie Madden Bowl in Los Angeles. Players competed in a tournament just like the regular Madden Bowl held during Super Bowl week, but this one was just for rookies. Oh how I love rookies! With the exception of whiz kids like Matt Ryan, most of them are pretty goofy and not yet jaded by the media attention. Join me on the red carpet as I talk to Jake Long, Darren McFadden, Devin Thomas, Dexter Jackson, Kevin O'Connell, Andre Caldwell and others before the tournament.

Besides all the smack talking about Madden skills and player ratings, watch at 0:54 to find out if Dustin Keller can handle the heat of Jets questioning ... and make sure to stay for Jonathan Stewart's hilarious ramblings at the very end of the video.


AOL Video link. YouTube link.

New York Jets 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (6): Vernon Gholston, DE/LB, Ohio State
Round 1 (30): Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Round 4 (113): Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State
Round 5 (162): Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
Round 6 (171): Marcus Henry, WR, Kansas
Round 7 (211): Nate Garner, OT, Arkansas

The Good: There might not be a player with Gholston's upside in the entire draft. A physical freak who made a mess of offensive lines in big games, Gholston could have a Shawne Merriman-type impact on the Jets pass rush. The questions about his consistency and effort need to be answered but there wasn't another player the Jets could've taken with this pick. Henry will be a good red zone target and Garner is a road grader in the run game. Keller will definitely help the offense. Even though he doesn't block, he catches the ball well and creates matchup issues. Brian Schottenheimer will use him in a variety of ways but ...

The Bad: did they really need to trade up to pick him? I don't think he was worth the fourth-round pick they gave up nor the fact that the contract issue with Chris Baker will now be a full-fledged distraction. Lowery isn't fast enough to man up with receivers which will be a problem if the Jets commit to being an attacking defense. Maybe he moves to safety? Either way the four you spent on Keller could have been used to get a better corner, which was a bigger need.

It's just not the draft without a move from the Jets that baffles the partisan crowd. It didn't happen with the sixth pick when the crowd offered its approval of the Vernon Gholston pick so maybe that's why the team felt the need to trade back up into the tail end of the first round. And, with the crowd chanting "Devin Thomas" for the Michigan State wideout, the team went with tight end Dustin Keller of Purdue.

The reaction fell short of a full-throated boo but only because half the crowd probably had no idea who Keller was. Stunned silence was the reaction du jour but I'm pretty sure if they had heard of him they would have booed. Keller's a receiving tight end, in the mold of Dallas Clark if you're optimistic, with no blocking skills whatsoever. For a team that has problems finishing drives, not moving five or six yards at a time, it's a very curious pick.

There are two reasons why Keller may have caught the Jets eye. Starting tight end Chris Baker walked out of workouts this week and requested a trade, perhaps they plan to deal him at some point this weekend and figure they could spend a couple of picks on a replacement now and then replace them in another deal. Bubba Franks is around to do the heavy lifting at tight end so Keller could fill the receiving role.

The Jets traded up from their second-round pick to the Packers' first-round pick and used the 30th overall selection on Purdue tight end Dustin Keller, the most athletic tight ends in this year's draft.

But while Keller is a good athlete, I'm not a big fan of his because he's not a very good blocker. He's basically a slot receiver, not a tight end, and I'm not convinced that a slot receiver is what the Jets needed with this pick.

ESPN's Merill Hoge referred to Keller as a liability in the running game, and I think that's exactly right. For a team with as many needs as the Jets to trade up to draft Keller is surprising.

Previously on FanHouse:
The Jets Aren't Just a Team, They're a Family; A Family Guy Kinda Family
FanHouse Mock Draft: New York Jets Select DE/LB Vernon Gholston No. 6

These pesky Jeremy Shockey rumors aren't subsiding, and they won't soon if a New Era Scouting report is true that Shockey is scoping out houses in New Orleans. It's a throwaway line in a larger article, and given my skepticism regarding the credibility of all of these new "inside source" football sites, I'm not sure how accurate it is. But there ya go.

The New York Post has refuted rumors that Shockey will be dealt to the Saints (with the most recent gossip that the Saints turned down demands of a second-round pick and safety Roman Harper). The Post, however, is the only source outright denying the rumors, and I tend to believe where there's smoke there's fire. Plus, it's the Post.

I think dealing for Shockey would be beneficial, but only for the right price. If the Giants must have anything close to what they've asked for, the Saints would be better off exploring other options. Which brings us to Dustin Keller.

The Saints brought arguably the best tight end in the draft for a visit that extended beyond the typical pleasantries of pre-draft stop-and-chats. The team rolled out the red carpet for Keller, and his fellow Purdue alum Drew Brees said he'd "love" to have Keller as his tight end in 2008.

The Saints might very possibly be interested in Keller, who should be around when they pick at #40. Or this could be a smokescreen to force the Giants' hands. Either way, they're improving at tight end. Meanwhile, Jim Ross' credibility hangs in the balance.

With each pick of the FanHouse mock draft, we get into the head of an NFL general manager and let you know who he'll pick and why.

And so life in the post-Alexander era begins. Julius Jones is a new addition to the Pacific Northwest, but at this point Jones isn't capable of carrying any offense, especially one without a dominant offensive line. Jonathan Stewart, sort of an obvious pick, can be Jones' next Marion Barber.

Surgery on his toe is the only reason the very talented Stewart has fallen this far, and it's a godsend for the Seahawks to grab the local prospect. When healthy, he'll provide Seattle with a very powerful runner who also has good speed and the ability to break long gains.

As for that offensive line, they could use some help, but while Gosder Cherilus is available, tackle is less a need than guard. Dustin Keller is also an option at tight end, but with equal needs at the skill positions the Seahawks have to go with the more valuable overall player, and that's Stewart.

The Skinny:
Team Needs: RB, OT, OG, TE
Player Selected: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Also Considered: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue; Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College

Previous Pick: No. 24, Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan St.

Next Pick: No. 26, Jacksonville Jaguars