QB sleepers: Watch Leinart, Campbell
Much of the analysis remains unchanged, as players have started to confirm our earlier suspicions. The return of the bounce in Donovan McNabb's step is encouraging, and he appears to have found another playmaker in rookie DeSean Jackson. Jay Cutler will play without Brandon Marshall for the first three weeks of the season, but he's got an energized Darrell Jackson working with Brandon Stokley and Tony Scheffler. Their respective draft selection points preclude them from appearing on this list.
As such, I'm digging deeper. A couple of the names on the short list will come as no surprise. One or two might inspire you to send a chuckle of guffaw my way. Remember, we're trying to find the positives here, the "bright side of life," as the Monty Python boys proclaimed it.
Let's start the review in Carolina, where Jake Delhomme seeks to reclaim his place among the league's top signal callers.
The conditions were sloppy during Delhomme's return to the field but, aside from a couple wobbly passes of a slippery ball, he demonstrated good arm strength and accuracy against the Eagles. Delhomme completed 9-of-14 passes for 54 yards with an interception and a would-be touchdown to Muhsin Muhammad that fell incomplete when Brian Dawkins leveled a devastating hit on the veteran receiver. I've been bullish on Delhomme based on the reports coming out of OTAs, and nothing I saw diminishes my hope for a big comeback year.
Obviously, the loss of Steve Smith for two games hurts him early (they connected constantly before Delhomme was injured last year), but Delhomme has a fortified offensive line, running game and additions in the receiving corps in the aforementioned Muhammad and longtime fantasy watch list member D.J. Hackett. He's being drafted as a mid-level No. 2 quarterback, but I expect huge returns once Smith gets back on the field.
I'm still concerned about the presence of veteran Kurt Warner on the sidelines, but I'm optimistic that Matt Leinart takes a huge step forward this season. Leinart has been pushed hard by Warner this offseason, vastly improving his footwork coming out from under center and throwing on the move. Leinart has two of the most explosive receivers in the game in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and we're starting to see Steve Breaston emerge as a No. 3 deep threat in the role vacated by Bryant Johnson. In theory, 6-foot-8 behemoth Leonard Pope will also provide a red zone threat.
Leinart came on in relief of Warner in the second exhibition game (see, Ken Whisenhunt is still messing with us a la the dearly departed Robert Goulet) and overcame a shaky start to lead a touchdown drive. He finished 7-of-11 for 62 yards.
If Russ Grimm is able to field a cohesive offensive line, protect Warner and boost first-down yardage for Edgerrin James, Leinart stands a chance to fully take advantage of those athletic receivers downfield and repeat his Week 2 stat line from 2007 against a good Seattle defense (299 yards, one touchdown and one interception). Draft him as a backup, and roll back a few rounds later to snag Warner (27 touchdowns last year).
Jason Campbell of the Redskins hasn't looked completely comfortable in the offense installed by new coach Jim Zorn, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities once the second-year starter puts things together. Campbell returns top options Santana Moss (slowed by injuries last year) and fantasy hero and advocate Chris Cooley along with the shifty Antwaan Randle El and a bevy of new receiving targets.
Do I anticipate a 28-to-30 touchdown barrage? Absolutely not, but I do expect more consistent production to make Campbell a viable backup and spot starter.
You're looking at a defense that was bolstered in the offseason (Jason Taylor is huge, but the possibility of adding a healthy Erasmus James to that D-line rotation is intriguing) and Clinton Portis' usual strong support in the running game. The defense will provide additional short field opportunities, and the development of rookies Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly will allow Campbell to capitalize. He may start off slowly.
However, I'm intrigued to watch his growth as Zorn's offense becomes second-nature and more instinctual.
Down in the AFC South, I'm expecting a huge leap in the development of Matt Schaub with another year of tutelage by Gary Kubiak. Schaub showed flashes of the quarterback we expected him to become in Atlanta during last year's injury-shortened campaign. He completed 66.4 percent of his pass attempts, averaging 7.8 yards per attempt while topping 220 passing yards in each of the eight games he completed.
However, Schaub only found the end zone nine times. I anticipate that Schaub will work to get the ball out quicker this season, thereby taking fewer hits and keeping Sage Rosenfels on the sideline. Andre Johnson catches everything, even when opponents appear to have formed a human blanket on him. Kevin Walter was a nice surprise, hauling in 65 passes for 800 yards, and we've written at length about Owen Daniels, who now represents a solid value option at the deep tight end position.
I remain moderately concerned about the offensive line's ability to protect him, and the multi-back system leaves us throwing our hands in the air, but the talent is there, should Schaub find the time to display it.
The arrival of Brett Favre signaled the end of Chad Pennington's tenure in New York. Can Pennington forget about his past inconsistency under the big lights and settle into his new digs in Miami? Pennington looked good in his limited work against the Jaguars, leading the team to two scores while completing 5-of-6 passes for 54 yards.
I'm not calling for a ridiculous stat line, but given the number of injuries that befall quarterbacks around the league, Pennington will play a role in the fantasy world before things are said and done. He has two young downfield options in Ted Ginn, Jr. and Derek Hagan, and former Jacksonville wideout Ernest Wilford will be part of the mix. If the Ricky Williams/Ronnie Brown combination can find success on the ground, they'll put Pennington in position to take some shots downfield. He did put up three multi-touchdown games in the eight games he finished last year, so there's some hope (save the e-mails; I know Coles and Cotchery are playing with Favre now).
I don't want to read any reports that I'm revving up the Pennington bandwagon. He's a third fantasy quarterback and a curiosity following a change of venue. The fact that Bill Parcells (who was in the front office for the Jets when Pennington was drafted) brought him onboard has to count for something.
I'll finish this piece with a quick look at Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards. Edwards has looked sharp this preseason and has grown into the starting role. Second-year tailback Marshawn Lynch avoided punishment from the league following his hit-and-run incident in the offseason, giving Edwards a top-tier back and a fine receiver on the swing pass.
Top target Lee Evans is in a contract year, and I suspect that we see him in more short-yardage pass situations instead of merely relying on the deep ball. Rookie James Hardy provided a red zone threat that has been lacking, and tight end Robert Royal has demonstrated an aptitude for creating space in close quarters. Six of his seven touchdowns came in two of his 10 starts last season. I expect more consistency as he grows into his role.
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