2006: 7-9 overall record, 3-3 division record, 113.5 ppg, Lost in Rd 2 of Playoffs
The Dark Knights are a team on the rise, with an abundance of veteran and rookie talent at QB to use as trading chips and a top notch rushing attack. There are a few holes, but nothing that a well-timed trade or free agent acquisition can’t patch up.
The QB1 heading into the season is Jon Kitna, who threw for 4,000+ yards with a lot of interceptions thrown in. He should match his 2006 numbers, making him a solid every-week starter. Brett Favre is the QB2, with his backup Aaron Rodgers behind him and rookie JaMarcus Russell still negotiating his Raider contract.
Frank Gore burst onto the scene in 2006, and the team wisely slapped the franchise tag on him. Gore has a bit of an injury risk to him, but when healthy he has top-five ability on an improving offense. RB2 Travis Henry moves into a sweet situation in Denver, though there are injury concerns with him thus far. While not the best running attack in the league, this tandem is definitely upper-echelon. Veterans Warrick Dunn and Michael Pittman are the main backups.
The weakness of the team is at WR, where they’re missing one top-notch option. WR1 Reggie Brown is more suited to a WR2 role, and there’s not much on the squad behind him, with Joe Horn and Derrick Mason the early favorites to start. TE Jason Witten is a decent backup. Rookie Craig Davis would help the club immensely if he can make a smooth NFL transition and become an Anglia starter.
League-leading DE1 Jason Taylor joins the team from Utica and should lead the defense in points this season. Ty Warren does well enough each week to be relied on as the DE2. Will Witherspoon and second-year LB A.J. Hawk should start every week in the middle, with E.J. Henderson and Manny Lawson rounding out the unit. The secondary’s best player is suspended for the year, so the Knights brought in Nate Clements, Adam Archuleta and Terence Newman. All three will need to contribute immediately, as returning DB Antrell Rolle is slated for less playing time this year.
Anglia did a great job of bringing in talent for 2007, but there remains work that needs to be done. The AFC crown is probably out of reach, but with a few breaks the division title is a possibility. After that, anything can happen in the playoffs.
Bertrand
2006: 9-7 overall record, 5-1 division record, 131.4 ppg, Lost in AFC Championship
The 2006 edition of the Bertrand Ground Force started slow, made a big trade for a franchise QB, and overcame an injury to the star RB to reel off three wins and take the division crown. The 2007 edition has a few superstars, but not a lot of great players on offense. The defense remains solid as always, but without a couple hidden gems coming out on offense, the Ground Force will be hard-pressed to win against much improved competition in the South.
QB is the spot on offense where Bertrand has no troubles at all. QB1 Carson Palmer is one of the top passers in the league and even coming off a bad injury he scored 284 points. QB2 Steve McNair isn’t a top QB anymore, but he’s solid as a backup.
Franchise player Shaun Alexander was fantastic coming off his injury at the end of 2006. If he can stay healthy this year, he should return to being a top RB. He will be leaned on heavily either way, as the best option to play RB2 is the uninspiring Ron Dayne.
The story at WR is much the same, with one bona fide star and a lot of questions. Darrell Jackson is definitely an injury concern, but if he can stay relatively healthy, he’ll be a fine WR1. Behind him on offense are Patrick Crayton, Dennis Northcutt, rookies Jason Hill and TE Greg Olsen, and second-year men Chad Jackson and TE Marcedes Lewis. All are good enough to contribute at some point during the season, but none can be relied on as starters. Two will have to step up.
The Ground Force has a very good pair of DL bookends in Aaron Kampman and Aaron Schobel. The two combined for over 300 points last year, outstanding numbers for the position. The LB unit needs depth, but Jonathan Vilma and Morlon Greenwood are solid as starters. The secondary will rely on Antoine Winfield and Gibril Wilson, both 150-point scorers from a year ago. Young DBs Tye Hill and Leon Hall will join them.
While not many teams can boast the resume the Ground Force has put together in their first two seasons, it’s going to be extremely difficult to win with this unit. Expect Bertrand to watch the wire like a hawk for free agents that have big weeks and use as much of their $10 million cap space as they need to bringing in complimentary pieces to join their stars.
Cincinnati
2006: 4-12 overall record, 2-4 division record, 99.5 ppg, missed playoffs
2006 is a year that won’t be fondly remembered by Keeper fans. Winning two games by less than five points, this team could have easily been 2-14. Not that 4-12 is much to brag about. Tired of the hate mail pouring in, ownership stepped up and started dealing. As a result, the Keepers are expected to be a contender in the South this year with a much-improved squad.
With J.P. Losman more suited to be the QB2, Cincinnati went out and acquired Phillip Rivers, who shined in his first year as starter of the Chargers. These two might not be top-tier options, but with a combined salary of barely $1 million, they should do a solid job at a discounted price.
The Keepers couldn’t find a running game in 2006 no matter where they looked, but that shouldn’t be a problem in 2007. Enter Reggie Bush, one of the league’s most exciting young talents and a lock to be this team’s RB1 for a long time. The RB2 will be the winner of the GB timeshare out of Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson, though both have battled injuries this preseason.
The unquestioned WR1 is T.J. Houshmazilly, the franchise player for Cincinnati. Hoshmazode, while a solid consistent weapon, isn’t quite good enough to carry the unit. So a couple of breakout candidates will have to come through to help Houshzyamama. Brandon Marshall should emerge as the #2 weapon in Denver and has the potential to be a solid WR2. Devery Henderson moves up the depth chart in New Orleans and is a good home run threat as a WR3. Kevin Curtis, now a starter in Philly, and Maurice Stovall, a possible starter in Tampa Bay, are also good bets to contribute this year.
Sack machine Mark Anderson will need to come up with even more sacks this year, as he doesn’t accrue many tackles. Cincinnati will be looking for Bertrand Berry to rebound back to his pre-injury form. The Keepers traded for LB1 Mike Peterson, who is also coming off injury but is a top-ten LB when healthy. He’ll team with Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Paul Posluszny, monster DeMarcus Ware and the ever-so-solid Lofa Tatupu to form one of the league’s best LB units. Eric Barton is no slouch as a fifth option either. The Keepers will be looking for secondary help, though. Rodney Harrison is the only top option, and even he has red flags. A couple rookies round out the paper-thin secondary.
It’s not there yet, but it’s definitely much improved. Watching these Keepers, you won’t even remember the sub-100 ppg performance from 2006. Unless I keep reminding you. Rivers-Bush-Housh is a solid core on offense, and those LBs are scary good, capable of taking over a game and hanging 50+ points on their opponent. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Greenville
2006: 5-11 overall record, 2-4 division record, 116.2 ppg, Lost in Rd 1 of Playoffs
A Greenville is brewing. Wait, that’s not right. The Storm enters 2007 with a lot of work to do to catch the powerhouse Ground Force and the rest of the division. With Cincinnati much improved, this team might struggle to stay out of the cellar if it doesn’t make some quick pick-ups and build some young talent and depth going forward.
QB1 Jay Cutler looked impressive in his first stint as starting QB, and his continued maturation is paramount to a successful Greenville season. Otherwise, they will be forced to rely on wild-card Rex Grossman. You don’t know what you’re getting with Grossman, but you can pretty much be guaranteed he’ll wind up in the top-five or bottom-five QB performances each week.
Thomas Jones returns as the RB1, and now he’ll be running with the Jets. He’ll still split time with the young guys in New York, so he’s not a lock for more carries this year, but he’ll be well worth starting each week. The RB2 is rookie Marshawn Lynch, who might face a steep learning curve dealing with on-the-job training, as he’s expected to be an every-week starter right away.
The WR unit lacks a true WR1, but Mark Clayton is the best of the bunch. He’ll need to step up and produce top-15 numbers to keep the unit competitive. TE Todd Heap is a reliable starter, and Muhsin Muhammad is the expected WR3 to start out. Rookies Sidney Rice and Aundrae Allison would do wonders for this team if either can emerge as a starter.
The defensive line only goes two deep, with second-year Mario Williams proving unworthy of the #1 overall pick in his first season. Leonard Little is a fine starting DL, and if Williams improves this unit will be O.K., provided the owner signs a little depth. LB Ray Lewis, while not the monster he’s been in the past, is still a reliable option and every-week starter. Ernie Sims had a productive rookie year and is back as the LB2. Julian Peterson and Akin Ayodele should see a lot of playing time as well. Richard Marshall had a great year, scoring 150+ points, and he’ll team with Charles Woodson as the expected secondary starters.
Landing Lynch was a big step in the right direction for the Storm, but the lack of superstars on offense will be difficult to overcome. If the team can add a WR1 and maybe another solid RB, watch out. Otherwise, a division title looks like a little too much to ask.
Predicted order of finish:
1. Cincinnati2. Anglia
3. Bertrand
4. Greenville
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