Posts tagged JamaalCharles at FanHouse

Big 12 ... cattle country ... the plains ... cowboys ... boots ... If this were the Pac-10 we'd be talking about filling sandals. I'm a shoe man, personally. Anyway. Some Big 12 figures are going to be difficult to replace, although it's not as bad as you think (similar to last year). Let's review.

TOM OSBORNE, NEBRASKA

Nebraska didn't simply terminate Bill Callahan last year, they terminated the heir to Osborne's throne. Bo Pelini isn't replacing Callahan, no sir. He's replacing his boss Tom Osborne in attempting to transition Nebraska football back to another dominant era. No pressure or anything. So far Osborne's replacements are 0 for 2, but the program thinks it has found its man in former assistant and last year's defensive coordinator at LSU, Bo Pelini. Pelini doesn't possess Osborne's steely but quiet command of his team, but no coach nowadays could. He's a spirited barker demanding tremendous effort and sacrifice. He's tasked with picking up the pieces of mistrust that led to last year's collapse and the worst defensive performance in the program's deep history.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, 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.

Quarterbacks: Oh, holy God. Do we have to start here? Can't we start at defensive line? Or even offensive line? No? Okay. So last season, Damon Huard was such the pinnacle of mediocrity, he may have redefined the word for decades. It wasn't so much that Huard was spectacularly terrible, throwing constant interceptions as he heaved them down the field, Rex-Grossman-style, it was that he looked singularly incapable of actually getting the ball downfield to begin with. So, after far too many games watching the offense set new franchise lows, Brodie Croyle who had been waiting in the wings, finally took the reins. The results were less than spectacular. Chiefs fans support Croyle because the kid has shown flashes of leadership and a pretty solid arm. The trouble is, the protection was so bad last year, no one knows whether to pin the offense's disastrous play on an inability by Brodie to produce, or a result of the fact that Croyle spent so much time on the run it's a wonder he's not dead in the cold, cold ground. So with a retooled and slightly upgraded offensive line, he should be better? Right? Right? Oh, Jesus, where's the bottle? Wait, what? Huard's still on the team? Must get bigger bottle. Heat Index: 2

Every year in Fantasy Football we all get outsmarted and we miss the waiver wire wonder that would've saved our fleeting Championship dreams. Unfortunately, by the time we've caught the stat line of some random dude we've never heard of who ran for 100 yards and a TD, he's already been snagged by our peers. And so is the way of Fantasy Football.

Anyhow, today I'm taking a gander at the prospects of who just might be the NEXT Ryan Grant of the 2008 Fantasy Football season. For practical purposes I had to leave the obvious candidates like Matt Forte, Kevin Smith, Jonathan Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall out of the discussion. In reality, all those guys are competing for starting jobs or are locked into timeshares and will see their fair share of carries.

So, let's dig a little deeper if that's possible and stay as far away from the obvious department as possible (easier said than done). Follow me...

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 ...
Youth movement. The Chiefs got old, fast, a few years ago and this year they had 12 draft picks. The once studly offensive line that made stars out of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson broke down, and the QB position became a debacle. It's just too early for this group to salvage anything of real consequence.

The Breakout
I'm gonna have to go with Jamaal Charles, but only because of the poor selection. He's your handcuff to Johnson, not Kolby Smith, and he's going to have a role in the offense even with Johnson healthy ... to the point that Herm Edwards has hinted Charles will get 10-12 touches a game. He's relegated to 2nd string behind LJ, so please don't misconstrue his inclusion here as some sign that I think he's a fantasy stud. Far from it. The fact of the matter is that there are only three usable fantasy players on this team, and none of them are undervalued heading into fantasy drafts. Charles is the next most likely fantasy commodity to emerge ... it's as simple as that.

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 ...
Youth movement. The Chiefs got old, fast, a few years ago and this year they had 12 draft picks. The once studly offensive line that made stars out of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson broke down, and the QB position became a debacle. It's just too early for this group to salvage anything of real consequence.

The Breakout
I'm gonna have to go with Jamaal Charles, but only because of the poor selection. He's your handcuff to Johnson, not Kolby Smith, and he's going to have a role in the offense even with Johnson healthy ... to the point that Herm Edwards has hinted Charles will get 10-12 touches a game. He's relegated to 2nd string behind LJ, so please don't misconstrue his inclusion here as some sign that I think he's a fantasy stud. Far from it. The fact of the matter is that there are only three usable fantasy players on this team, and none of them are undervalued heading into fantasy drafts. Charles is the next most likely fantasy commodity to emerge ... it's as simple as that.

When the Chiefs used their second first-round pick on Branden Albert, it was with the understanding that the Virginia guard would eventually make his way to tackle. The only question was how long would it take for him transition one position to his left.

Well, according to new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, the answer is simple: the minute Kansas City drafted Albert he became an NFL left tackle. Last month, Gailey explained how things were going to be.

"He sat me down and told me, 'You're going to play left tackle for us,' " Albert said Wednesday. "He was real stern about it. He said, 'You're going to play. You're going to get it.' "You've got to trust him. You've got to go with it."

Gailey's offense features a power running game and play-action passes; last year, the Chiefs ranked 11th in the NFL in passes attempted, something Gailey would like to get away from. (It's probably worth mentioning that Kansas City didn't set out to wing the ball all over the field, but when you routinely find yourself down early in a game, the offense becomes one-dimensional.)

A power running game is contingent on a cohesive offensive line and a capable running back. With Larry Johnson returning to form and the addition of Jamaal Charles, the running game looks set; the offensive line is currently another matter.

But Gailey aims to remedy that in training camp. Whether it actually happens is another issue, but if nothing else, Gailey has a solid track record as an offensive coordinator, which is something Mike Solari couldn't say. It's not a lot, but after a four-win 2007 season, it'll have to do.

I think we can all agree that the Chiefs had the best draft in the history of the world last month. After having close to 50 picks, Kansas City landed a starting lineman (Branden Albert), a potential Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Glenn Dorsey), a nickel back (Brandon Flowers), and a change-of-pace back to compliment Larry Johnson (Jamaal Charles).

Kansas City also added a humongous tight end (6-8 Brad Cottam) and a heady safety (DaJuan Morgan), and every one of these selections were made in the first three rounds.

But maybe the most important pick (or one of the most important -- it's hard to think anybody will overshadow the impact Dorsey should have) is Missouri's Will Franklin, drafted 105th overall.

Coming off a four-win season usually means a team has any number of needs. The Chiefs did a swell job of addressing most of them, but depth at wide receiver remained a huge question, even after Kansas City added 12 guys to the roster via the draft.

Last year's first-rounder, Dwayne Bowe, emerged as the team's only legit downfield threat a year ago, but the Chiefs may have found another young starter on the outside in Franklin:

Kansas City Chiefs 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (5): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 1 (15): Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
Round 2 (35): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (73): Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Round 3 (76): Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
Round 3 (82): DaJuan Morgan, S, North Carolina State
Round 4 (105): Will Franklin, WR, Missouri
Round 5 (140): Brandon Carr, CB, Grand Valley State
Round 6 (170): Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson
Round 6 (182): Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
Round 7 (210): Brian Johnston, DE, Gardner-Webb
Round 7 (239): Mike Merritt, TE, Central Florida

The Good: See all 12 picks above -- that's the good. Kansas City added value with every single selection they made, and addressed nearly every need they had. Glenn Dorsey was considered by some to be the number one player available, while Albert, Flowers, Cottam and Robinson (special teams) all add significant talent to positions in need. And what about the other nine players selected? They all have tremendous upside as well and each represented solid value at the position they were taken.

The Bad: Is there any? The Chiefs made 12 picks this past weekend and on paper, it looks like they made every single one of them count. If there's one knock on anyone, it's that Braden Albert will be a "work in progress." Still, that's hardly a negative for someone who figures to be a quality NFL starter for a very long time. Beyond that, the only other negative that presents itself was the failure to draft another quarterback.

The Grade: A. In comparison to the other 31 teams, Kansas City left Radio City Music Hall on top. They had a fantastic draft and appear to have secured a bright future. Although they may not make it to the playoffs this coming season, they've certainly given their fans something to be excited about.

Click here to read other draft grades.

We've already checked in on the quarterbacks, so why not delve into what's new with the running backs of the Big 12.

We'll start at Texas, where the biggest question mark of the spring is who will replace Jamaal Charles? Charles led the Big 12 in rushing in 2007 on the strength of a fantastic second half of the season. Three backs will fight it out over the starting running back gig in 2008.

Sophomore Vondrell McGee will get first shot at the starting job after serving as Charles' understudy a year ago. When Charles was having consistency problems at midseason in 2007, McGee actually got more playing time, specifically on short-yardage and goal-line plays. He gained 297 yards overall and scored eight touchdowns.

Redshirt freshman Fozzy Whittaker and McGee share the same, low-to-the-ground build. Both resemble miniature linebackers.

Whereas McGee prefers the I-formation, Whittaker is more comfortable running out of the shotgun. That's how he made his yardage at Pearland High School, where he finished with the sixth-best rushing total in Class 5A history.

The third member of the committee is Chris Ogbonnaya, a well-known offensive commodity. The Longhorns often turned to Ogbonnaya on third-down situations last fall because he was as adept at running pass routes as he was at picking up the blitz. He caught 21 passes a year ago. To prepare for this season, the fifth-year senior dropped 12 pounds to improve his speed. He's now at 215.

We'll look elsewhere in the Big 12 after the jump.

A look at the 2007 junior class as players decide whether to enter the 2008 NFL draft.

Texas running back Jamaal Charles was one of the first juniors to announce that he's turning pro, and although I don't necessarily think the decision to leave Texas was a mistake, I think he should have waited until closer to the NFL's Jan. 15 deadline.

That's because this year is a bit unusual at running back. The junior class is much, much more talented than the senior class. Even leaving Charles aside for a moment, I think you could make a good case that the top five junior running backs -- Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Rashard Mendenhall, Jonathan Stewart and Steve Slaton -- are better than any of the seniors.