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Monday, August 1, 2011

Weekend Update

This past weekend brought a number of big signings and deals that could have huge impact in 2011. Most of them will impact the actual season more-so than the fantasy football season, but they are all important to note.

The biggest mover over the past few days was clearly the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles traded Kevin Kolb to the Cards for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick, a deal that was certain to make every Eagles fan jump for joy. Honestly, if your team could trade away their back-up quarterback and in return land a guy like DRC AND a future 2nd round draft pick, you’d wonder what team had lost their marbles. The Cardinals needed a signal caller and the deal that had been rumored since last year was finally completed. The Eagles were far from done, however. Next they signed Nnamdi Asomugha on Friday, adding the best free agent on the market to a set of corners that already included pro-bowlers Asante Samuel and the recently acquired DRC. Nnamdi was clearly a prize worth fighting for, and in the end he made the decision to go to a team that looks ready to win now. Those two deals would have made it a great weekend for Philly fan. But why not add icing to the cake? Philly also signed Vince Young as a back-up to Vick. Young could learn a lot from Vick as they are both out of a similar mold, both physically and mentally. Last, but certainly not least, the Eagles also signed free agent Cullen Jenkins. When healthy, Jenkins is a beast of a pass-rushing defensive tackle that is sure to add a new dimension to the Eagles defensive game. QBs and offensive coordinators are now going to have to figure out how to stop the Eagle rush without lofting any passes that are certain to be picked off by one of the best set of corners in the league.

There were a couple of notable movements at RB this weekend. Chicago signed the former Cowboy, Marion Barber; or in his glory days “MBIII”. Barber should see some 3rd down and goal-line work. If he does something with the limited work, he could find himself in a better position than he would have been in had he stayed in Dallas. Tim Hightower was also dealt from the Cards to the Skins, a move that does have some fantasy impact. With Hightower out of the picture, it is clear that Arizona is going to be riding Beanie Wells and their rookie RB Ryan Williams. If either of these guys sees 70%+ of the carries as well as the dump offs that are sure to come from Kolb, they might actually have some decent fantasy value; especially when you play 6 games against the NFC West. On the other hand, Washington now has Hightower, Ryan Torain, and Roy Helu to split time. My guess is that Torain is the main guy in this trio with Hightower getting some goal-line work. Helu may be reduced to a special teams roll, but he is an injury away from a possible shot at the starting position.

Plaxico Burress signed with the New York Jets this weekend as well. This move should have a positive impact on any offensive player for the Jets. Holmes needed someone to remove double teams and Greene needed the passing game to be a legit threat in order to find some holes in the defense. Both of these were accomplished by signing Plax. The big question will be whether Plax follows in the footsteps of Michael Vick and returns to glory, or if he has spent one too many days behind bars to remember what it is like to truly give your all for your team and for the love of the game.

This week is sure to bring about more deals. Team should start to settle down by the end of the week though as pre-season games are just around the corner.

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