MISC Offseason Notes

Its now June and OTA reports are already rolling in to provide hype or red flags on players based on their "fitness" level and performance in shorts. It seems almost every update includes something along the lines of "best shape I've ever seen" or "showed up x amount of lbs overweight". Universal opinion may be split in either one, over hyping "shorts" updates or two, disregarding them all together. I believe every item of note... is an item of note. Keep it all in mind. Store it and look for similar trending future updates. McFadden, was said to be in premier condition last offseason and jumped out to a blazing start before going down with injury. Chris Johnsons' fitness level was questioned and he had an unbelievably slow start.

2012 Offseason Check in: Part One

Ryan Mathews: I list him first not only for reports of him being in the best shape of his career, but because I believe he will the biggest swing player of round one. Meaning stealing him in the latter part of round one could be your first major step in the direction of a Championship. Yes, it could be that quickly. Obviously there is countless variables in Fantasy Sports but landing the potential number one RB and Most Valuable Fantasy Scorer at the end of Round one tilts the table in your direction. You will then be allowed to Pair him with another premier high upside player which gives you a lethal scoring duo and allows for some "misses" down the road. Mathews only received 222 carries last season and 157 the year prior. He has more than enough tread on the tires to handle a major work load in 2012. HC Norv Turner has a history of using a workhorse. Ricky Williams had two seasons of at least 383 touches under him. In this case Turner has a Clydesdale for Mathews can simply do everything a RB needs to do and do it as well as anyone. There won't be a better blend of situation plus talent than Mathews in 2012.

Adrian Peterson: He's an absolute freak. So what if he tore his ACL in late December. Who cares. He's been running since February and has been beating the likes of Percy Harvin and Joe Webb in sprints. He is light years ahead of schedule, The Vikings landed a big upgrade to their line with premier OT Matt Kalil. Christian Ponder should be productive enough to keep defenses honest. I would NOT let AP slip out of the First round in my draft. Don't let the ACL progression chart scare you off. AP is no normal Human. Again... He's an absolute freak.

Jamaal Charles: Charles is one of the biggest Wild Cards of the 2012 draft. His game is built on explosion, speed and sharp cuts. Everything the ACL limits. On top of the the chiefs added Peyton Hillis this offseason which will only further cap his upside. That being said I'm one of the biggest Charles supporters. When he says he's coming back bigger, stronger and faster I believe him. Charles is not a boastful arrogant look at me type player. He's one of the most humble players in the game today and he was only further humbled by his injury. There's no doubt in my mind as I am typing this that Jamaal is out there somewhere working out like a madman with one this on his mind. Redemption. In his mind he was robbed of his 2011 season which could of very well been his rise to the top of the leagues RB hierarchy. 2012 will showcase a Jamaal Charles who won't be looking for 10, 20, or even 50 yards. He will be looking for a house call each and every time he has the ball in his hands and will be looking to inflict as much pain on all those who doubt him as possible. Do NOT doubt Jamaal Charles in 2012. Fear him. Fear what he will do against you.

Chris Johnson: Yes, it's true I was bald for much of the 2011 season from pulling my hair out due to his ABYSMAL effort and production for much of the year. Last season Johnson was under weight and out of shape. Even in the latter part of the season where he "broke out" he was still not at 100%. Johnson is now back to his Rookie season weight and is in tremendous physical condition according to reports. Johnson will bounce back in a big way providing nice dividends for trusting owners.

LeGarrette Blount: Blounts' disappointing 2011 season was in large part due to his team and game flow. Not his ability and although the drafting of Doug Martin could mean a bench role for Blount he should be able to provide a nice profit margin for believers. The Bucs will be as run heavy as any team. Their offensive line is improved and their Defense has no where to go but up to effectively balance game flow to give Blount his fair share of chances. I'd look for him to fit the Brandon Jacobs role to perfection. 8-10 carries a game providing over 5 ypc as he will be in FULL on "Blount Force" mode with those limited carries to keep him nothing but fresh. A demotion to a back up role will only further anger Blount. Reports are he's already highly motivated to keep the starter role and in tremendous physical form. Having seen him in person this offseason I can actually vouch for those updates. He's in freakish form. Look for him to provide multiple highlight reel runs consisting of countless Broken tackles leading to stat lines such as 8 carries 100 yards 2 TD's. No I don't think its unrealistic to expect multiple stat lines similar to the one mentioned. He should hold onto the goaline role on an offense that is much improved featuring Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin now. Josh Freeman is a natural born leader. He will bounce back nicely for the Bucs.