Tip Sheet

Pair of sophomores, pair of rookies ready to break through

Deuce McAllister scored three TDs in just three preseason games this year. Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

By Richard Harris, Special to CNNSI.com

Stock Rising

Deuce McAllister, RB, Saints: One of my favorite players in last year’s draft, McAllister has all the tools to be a great one -- size, speed, elusiveness and receiving ability. With Ricky Williams now in Miami, he is the leading candidate to have a breakout season. McAllister has already made Saints fans start to forget about Williams. Despite sitting out the preseason finale as a precaution, he was the Saints’ top rusher with 153 yards on 32 carries (4.8 avg.). He also caught seven balls for 71 yards (10.1 avg.) and scored a team-best three touchdowns.

Because of his exceptional receiving skills, McAllister figures to be heavily involved in all aspects of the Saints offense this season, and he could exceed what Williams accomplished last year (1,756 total yards and seven touchdowns). He’s certainly better liked by his teammates, and there is no running back on the roster who is a threat to cut into his playing time. The one knock on McAllister is that he was injury-prone in college, but then again, name a running back who is not somewhat of an injury risk.

Chris Chambers, WR, Dolphins: At Dolphins training camp last year, Chambers’ teammates and coaches often compared him to Randy Moss. That was not too surprising since he was arguably the most physically gifted wide receiver in the 2001 draft. At the NFL Combine, he blew the competition away with a series of impressive performances, including a 4.31 40-yard time, a 45-inch vertical, and an 11-foot, two-inch long jump. Chambers, however, slipped to the second round of the draft because he came from a run-oriented offense at Wisconsin and supposedly had questionable hands.

By midseason, the Dolphins knew that they had a steal, as Chambers had established himself as the team’s top receiving threat. Despite starting just seven games, he finished the year with 48 catches for a team-leading 883 yards and seven touchdowns. This season, with an opportunity to start in all 16 games, his numbers will surely climb. Dolphins wide receivers coach Robert Ford recently said that the team tried to get the ball to Chambers five to six times a game last year, but Ford says that number could easily double in 2002. Also, look for Chambers to be involved in the running game, as new offensive coordinator Norv Turner loves to use his receivers on reverses.

Javon Walker, WR, Packers: During training camp, Walker frequently received praise from QB Brett Favre and other teammates, and he finished the preseason with a team-leading 11 catches for 189 yards. The Packers are so pleased with his progress that Walker will be the first player off the bench when the Packers use multiple-receiver formations, joining starters Terry Glenn and Donald Driver.

Rookie wide receivers rarely perform at a high level, but Walker (6-3, 210) is especially intriguing because he backs up the unreliable Glenn and plays in an offense with enormous potential. Walker was one of the most impressive performers at the NFL Combine, displaying tremendous speed and leaping ability, and became the first receiver to be taken in the first round by Green Bay since Sterling Sharpe in 1988. A 23-year-old former member of the Florida Marlins organization, he has more maturity than most rookies, which is a big reason why the Packers believe that he can contribute immediately.

Daniel Graham, TE, Patriots: Graham, the 21st overall pick of the draft, missed most of training camp with a knee injury, but his stock has risen recently. He caught four passes, two for touchdowns, in the Patriots’ preseason finale. Meanwhile, Jabari Holloway and Arther Love, two tight ends drafted by the Patriots last year, have been released, and the often-injured Cam Cleeland missed most of the preseason recovering from last year’s Achilles’ injury and a few other minor setbacks. Seven-year pro Christian Fauria, acquired as a free agent from Seattle, has been the top tight end on the depth chart during camp, but he, too, is injury-prone and lacks the same play-making ability as Graham.

Keep an eye on

Kennison, who has never been known for his heart or toughness, has not been overly productive since his rookie season when he caught 54 balls for 924 yards and nine TDs. Being reunited with Vermeil, however, may have been just what the doctor ordered. Kennison was a regular in the offseason workout program and suited up for every practice during training camp.

Kennison, who won the NFL's Fastest Man competition in 1997, still has plenty of speed and has the potential to be a nice complement to Johnnie Morton, who is more of a possession receiver. In the final four games of last season, Kennison had 15 receptions for 315 yards (20.1 avg.). Spread those numbers over the course of a 16-game season, and they would amount to 60 receptions for 1,260 yards.

Ricky Williams, RB, Colts: To avoid the constant confusion with former Saint Ricky Williams, New Orleans traded this Williams to the Colts over the weekend. Actually, the Colts were desperate for a running back, so they offered a seventh-round pick to the Saints for a player they had signed as an undrafted free agent. The Colts, however, know that undrafted players can turn out to be gems, as Dominic Rhodes proved last season.

With Rhodes and sixth-round pick Brian Allen on IR and fullback Jim Finn and reserve tailback Shyrone Stith also injured, Williams is Edgerrin James’ backup by default. Williams, who rushed for 3,661 yards and 36 touchdowns at Texas Tech, was New Orleans' second-leading rusher during the preseason. The 5-7, 195-pound speedster carried 19 times for 88 yards (4.6 avg.).

James skipped all four preseason games as he continued to recover from reconstructive knee surgery. He will be in the starting lineup at Jacksonville this Sunday, but it's hard to imagine him being on the field as much as he's accustomed to, at least early in the season, and Williams gives the Colts a viable option when James requires a breather.

Troy Edwards, WR, St. Louis: Edwards, a 1999 first-round draft choice of the Steelers, was traded to the Rams on Saturday for a sixth-round draft pick. The overconfident fourth-year pro had his share of problems in Pittsburgh, but he could be a good fit for the Rams’ wide-open offense.

Edwards was the 13th overall pick in the ’99 draft. The only receivers taken ahead of him were Torry Holt (No. 6 overall by the Rams), and David Boston (No. 8 by Arizona). At Louisiana Tech, Edwards set an NCAA Division I-A record with 50 career touchdown receptions, and in his senior year, he caught 140 passes for an NCAA-record 1,996 yards. He set a Steelers rookie record with 61 catches, but he slipped down the depth chart as Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antwaan Randle El developed.

Edwards has a sprained knee and probably won't be ready to play for a couple of weeks, but don’t be surprised if he emerges as the Rams’ No. 3 receiver later in the season.

Stock Falling

Willie Jackson, WR, Falcons: In a sample of fantasy drafts that took place recently, Jackson was taken in the eighth round on average, which was roughly four rounds before Brian Finneran, the man that he’s playing behind. Jackson is a solid receiver, but as the No. 3 wideout in Atlanta, he’s not going to put up numbers like he did last year in New Orleans (81 receptions for 1,046 yards and 5 TDs). Eventually, he may move into the starting lineup (probably in place of Shawn Jefferson and not Finneran), but even if he does, he’s not likely to produce numbers worthy of an eighth-round pick.

Lamar Gordon, RB, Rams: Those who drafted Marshall Faulk may have taken a late-round chance on Gordon, hoping that the rookie would be the primary backup tailback in St. Louis. If you did, you likely wasted a draft pick. Coach Mike Martz said recently that Trung Canidate will keep the top backup job despite losing three fumbles in the preseason. Martz said that Canidate is “light years ahead” of Gordon at this point in time. Canidate finished the preseason with 49 carries for 147 yards, and 11 receptions for 107 yards. Gordon gained 89 yards on 26 carries, and had a 16 catches for 137 yards, both team highs. He also scored two touchdowns, while Canidate had none.

Richard Harris is the Senior Writer and Managing Editor for FantasyFootballExperts.com. His weekly columns have appeared on either ESPN.com or USAToday.com over the past four years, and this season, he will be featured on CNNSI.com. FantasyFootballExperts.com offers exclusive and in-depth articles, player rankings and cheat sheets for multiple scoring systems, injury updates, weekly matchup analysis, and other essentials for a fantasy football championship.

 

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