Category — New Orleans Saints

Last season the Saints were predicted to disappoint (again), the Cardinals to be the league’s sleeping giant, and Peyton Manning was still considered a choke artist. Then we all watched as the Saints pulled off a miracle, the Cardinals never awoke from their slumber, and Peyton Manning is now on the same pedestal as Tom Brady (a notch higher, in this writer’s opinion).

Hey, no one can get ‘em all right. But I’ll still try.

Just kick back and watch as the following 10 predictions come to fruition by the end of the season.

Sleepers. Underrated. Whatever you want to call them, these 10 players are poised for a breakout few are predicting.

10. T.J. Duckett (RB, Detroit Lions) — He might be third in the rotation, but Duckett is the Lions’ goal line back. And with an improving offense, he should see plenty of red zone and short yardage situations. Consider him a reincarnation of Jerome Bettis, circa 2005, someone who will score touchdowns while not putting up a little yardage. The best part is that he’ll be drafted late — think rounds 13-14 — where he’s undervalued.

9. Donovan McNabb (QB, Philadelphia Eagles) — Everyone is nervous McNabb will get hurt. And maybe he will, but until he does he’s easily a number one fantasy quarterback, someone who will average 250 yards and 2 touchdowns each game he starts.

If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you’ll have noticed the updated-daily portion of this site’s sidebar. Aptly titled, the Mock Draft I am participating in is with some fellow bloggers, all of whom have a strong interest — and knowledge — regarding fantasy football.

To keep this post to the point, I’ve simply copied the text from my post at the 10th overall pick. And I’m happy to announce my 2nd choice is another running back: Reggie Bush.

Though Radio City Music Hall has traditionally been the home of the NFL’s annual draft since 1965, New Orleans would like to shake things up a bit.

The proposal? Hosting the draft in different locales each year, similar to the way the Super Bowl is hosted in different stadiums each season.

But New Orleans would like to go above and beyond.

Entering the NFL being compared to the great Gale Sayers, Reggie Bush had a lot to live up to last season. And while he may not have been another Sayers, he did add a threatening aspect to the offense.

Despite being drafted as a running back, it’s difficult to categorize Bush. He can line up at wide receiver, in the backfield, or returning punts; but the best part is, he’s a threat to score on any given play in each of those roles.

Be it catching the football (he did that 88 times last season to rank 10th in the league) or carrying it out of the backfield (he scored 5 touchdowns on the ground in the Saints final five games of the season, despite carrying only 46 times), Bush is a player who can fill any role his team needs him to and do so effectively.

But does that make him worthy of your first round pick? Let’s dig a little deeper to find out.

If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you’ll have noticed the updated-daily portion of this site’s sidebar. Aptly titled, the Mock Draft I am participating in is with some fellow bloggers, all of whom have a strong interest — and knowledge — regarding fantasy football.

Already, the first nine picks have come and gone with 7 running backs and 2 quarterbacks off the board. Ordinarily, you might not see 2 quarterbacks drafted within the first 9 picks of a draft, but this particular league (set up by The Hazean) awards six points for each passing touchdown. And given the nature of quarterbacks like Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning, six points per touchdown adds up very fast.

All this leaves me with the 10th pick.

At one time it was “the greatest show in turf” in St. Louis. Since then the Colts have taken the crown, with such star talent as Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne.

But who is 2007’s best fantasy offense? Which offense drops jaws with its talent while tallying the scoreboard and boxscore with big numbers?

Though it is generally accepted each season that Peyton Manning will be the first quarterback drafted, there is some unsettled debate as to who should be taken second and thereafter.

The usual candidates return: Tom Brady, Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, and Carson Palmer. But a new contender entered the fray last season, Drew Brees. His unprecedented 4418 yards, 26 touchdowns, and mere 11 interceptions gave him the nod as the second best producer at quarterback in 2006.

Fantasy owners, meet your top six fantasy quarterbacks for the 2007 season:

The longest first round in NFL history is finally over — incidentally, this is the site’s longest blog — after a little more than 6 hours of draft and analysis. And now it’s your time to read about who teams drafted, who was passed on. This is your quick guide with links to the original reported story (top 10 picks only).

New Orleans seems to like defensive end Charles Grant; enough so, in fact, that they have resigned him