Gridiron Meanderings

A solid breakdown and analysis by Jeff Haverlack over at Dynasty League Football of the big rookie debate raging this off season: Andrew Luck versus Robert Griffin III (RG3).

I am personally torn, especially after being totally wrong (along with many others) regarding Cam Newton last year. So while I am very intrigued by RG3’s upside, physical skill set, and maturity, I am also concerned I may overreact to my miss on Cam Newton and overvalue him.

This is not the first, nor will it be the last, look at this debate. I have a feeling many, like me, will be torn even after making our draft day selections. Chances are both will be solid franchise quarterbacks, but we won’t know for sure for years to come.

Matt Waldman over at The Rookie Scouting Portfolio just posted an insightful, and rarely profound, fantasy football article. It’s a great breakdown of Brandon Weeden’s decision making skills where Waldman manages to weave not only cinematic critique but also a philosophic didactic on intellect and wisdom.

Definitely worth a read.

Ken Clein is back over at Dynasty League Football with a pretty nice article on things to consider when rookie drafting. Sure he contradicts himself a bit by his own admission with Tenet #5 (Every position is important) and #3 (Never draft a DB or K), but the article is best taken as “food for thought.”

Such is the case for with Tenet #4: Pick a TE sooner.

The NFL has evolved in two important respects that has shaken fantasy football to its core:

1. Running back committees.
2. Pass receiving tight ends.

The running back position, once the sacred cow of fantasy football, has diminished in importance as teams have gone away from the feature back system. This has in turn given rise to stud wide receivers and quarterbacks making more appearances in the first two rounds. The production playing field has flattened. We’ve seen this trend coming from a long way, but it’s really hitting home in 2012.

The stud tight end pass catching trend on the other hand has been more of a surprise. Sure there was Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe for a number of years, followed by Antonio Gates, but the past three years has seen an explosion of talent. Behemoths that can block and catch and perhaps more importantly run. It’s a revolution that we have yet to see the full consequences come to pass, because defenses are going to adjust in ways we probably haven’t quite seen yet.

It’s an exciting and scary time for fantasy owners. Who would have thought a tight end could reasonably be drafted in the first two rounds of any draft five years ago?

KFFL.com has released their NFL Draft Prospects rankings. Neither the first nor the last we’ll be seeing.