2013 NFL Rookies

[BINGO]

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Steelers

Le'Veon Bell (concussion) remained "full" in Thursday's practice, and says he's "fine" for Week 14.

Barring a setback, Bell is locked and loaded for Week 14. He'll be squaring off with a Dolphins defense allowing the seventh most fantasy points to running backs. Locked into an every-down role and leading all running backs in receiving over the past five weeks, Bell is in the RB1 conversation for the first week of the fantasy playoffs.
Source: Scott Brown on Twitter

Dec 5 - 3:48 PM

 

[BINGO]

Tyrann Mathieu - DB - Cardinals

Cardinals FS Tyrann Mathieu will undergo surgery to repair his torn left ACL and LCL on Tuesday, December 17.

We like to keep track of surgery dates for bookkeeping purposes. Coach Bruce Arians told reporters Monday that Mathieu is considered doubtful to participate in 2014 training camp, primarily because the LCL pushes back the ACL recovery. Rashad Johnson will take over at free safety. The Cards may turn to Jerraud Powers at slot corner, with Antoine Cason bookending Patrick Peterson.
Source: Mike Jurecki on Twitter

Dec 9 - 2:36 PM

 

[BINGO]

Montee Ball - RB - Broncos

Montee Ball played on a season-high 43-of-98 snaps (43.8 percent) in Sunday's win over the Titans.

Over the last two weeks, starter Knowshon Moreno has 39 touches while playing 100 snaps. Ball has 32 touches on 67 snaps. The Broncos' intention to keep Moreno fresh while simultaneously getting their talented rookie on the field is now clear. Ball has also turned into the usual goal-line option of late, punching in four rushing touchdowns over the last six weeks. He'll be a candidate for another 10-16 touches in Thursday's game against the Chargers, making him a viable flex option.
Source: profootballfocus.com

Dec 9 - 10:44 AM

 

[BINGO]

Manti Te'o - LB - Chargers

Chargers ILB Manti Te'o said he hasn't been bothered by "catcalls" from opposing fans during this rookie season.

Hobbled by preseason foot injury, Te'o has been solid but not spectacular while playing the majority of snaps. In 10 games, he has 46 tackles and four pass breakups, but no sacks, forced fumbles or interceptions. Te'o is PFF's No. 35 inside linebacker out of 54 qualifiers so far.
Source: Associated Press

Dec 11 - 9:06 AM

 

[BINGO]

Clyde's boy:


Sheldon Richardson - DL - Jets

First-round DL Sheldon Richardson is fourth on the Jets in tackles (60) and is third in sacks (3.5).

Among the leaders in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, Richardson has been everything the Jets have asked for and more. He's PFF's No. 5 3-4 defensive end and has been a huge reason the Jets have the league's No. 2 run defense. "He's got that relentless motor," coach Rex Ryan said. "For a defensive tackle and being as productive as he is ... the tape doesn't lie."
Source: New York Post

Dec 12 - 9:45 AM

 

[NinerSickness]

Clyde's boy:


Sheldon Richardson - DL - Jets

First-round DL Sheldon Richardson is fourth on the Jets in tackles (60) and is third in sacks (3.5).

Among the leaders in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, Richardson has been everything the Jets have asked for and more. He's PFF's No. 5 3-4 defensive end and has been a huge reason the Jets have the league's No. 2 run defense. "He's got that relentless motor," coach Rex Ryan said. "For a defensive tackle and being as productive as he is ... the tape doesn't lie."
Source: New York Post

Dec 12 - 9:45 AM

Can't go wrong with those Mizzu D-lineman (unless they're alcoholics).

 

[BINGO]

Keenan Allen - WR - Chargers

Both of Keenan Allen's catches went for touchdowns in San Diego's Week 15 win over the Broncos, as the sensational rookie wideout finished with 29 yards.

The Chargers dialed up only 19 pass attempts in their upset win, resulting in just five targets for Allen. Allen's first look was a botched third-down attempt in the red zone, as he ran the wrong route near the end zone. He made up for it one series later, taking a simple crossing route 19 yards to the house. He punctuated it with a daring leap over a defender. His second score came on a perfectly-thrown fade from Philip Rivers, where Allen simply out-muscled rookie CB Kayvon Webster. Now with back-to-back two-score games, Allen will remain a high-end WR2 for Week 16 against the Raiders.

Dec 12 - 11:53PM

 

[BINGO]

Cordarrelle Patterson - WR - Vikings

Cordarrelle Patterson is expected to be the Vikings' starting split end "for years to come."

Patterson played behind Jerome Simpson for much of his rookie year, averaging just 28.0 snaps per game and finishing with a 45/469/4 line. But Simpson is an unrestricted free agent facing another NFL suspension and it's obvious to anyone with two functioning eyes that Patterson needs to be an every-down player. He has the natural ability to be a plus-sized Percy Harvin with the ball in his hands at 6'2/216. There won't be many better fantasy breakout candidates in 2014 than Patterson.
Source: ESPN.com

Jan 22 - 9:58 AM

 

[BINGO]

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Steelers

ESPN Steelers reporter Scott Brown expects Le'Veon Bell to be "one of the biggest beneficiaries" of new OL coach Mike Munchak's addition to Pittsburgh's staff.

Brown expects Le'Veon to "thrive" in Pittsburgh's revised rushing attack, which will make zone blocking a "staple" on offense. The Steelers added zone concepts last offseason, but they'll be emphasized by Munchak. After breaking Franco Harris' Steelers rookie record for yards from scrimmage (1,259), Bell should be viewed as a rock-solid RB2 pick in 2014 fantasy drafts.
Source: ESPN.com

Jan 23 - 7:49 PM

 

[BINGO]

One of my fav players from last year, if developed accordingly, this kid is going to be a problem in the league despite his lack of top end speed (not that he's slow to begin with):

Marquess Wilson - WR - Bears

ESPN Chicago thinks Bears second-year WR Marquess Wilson will need to "light it up" this summer in order to pass Earl Bennett on the depth chart.

Bennett was asked to take a pay cut last offseason and may need to do so again in order to return -- the Bears can save $2.45 million against the cap by cutting him. There's no questioning Wilson is the more talented player, but he needs to get in the weight room. The belief is that Wilson will definitely get an opportunity to earn an increased role on offense in 2014. He needs to be owned in all dynasty formats.
Source: ESPN Chicago

Feb 8 - 10:18 AM

 

[NinerSickness]

Anyone want to revisit the Barkevious Mingo debate?

He was off to a pretty hot start as a rook, but he did very little since the beginning of 2013. I'm not extremely impressed.

 

[CalamityX11]

got to give Mingo another year to judge....

although I agree and would say I was never expecting big things/numbers from Bingo... never felt he was as good as advertised.

 

[NinerSickness]

What about DJ Hayden? I was pretty adamant about my dislike of him, but there were a few people here who vehemently disagreed with me. He had a really rough go of it & then got injured. That's not looking like a very good pick.

I saw quite a few Saints' games this year as well, but it's always hard to evaluate sefeties; they're not always on the screen. Kenny Vaccaro was my 2013 bust pick. What's the realistic word on him so far?

 

[NinerSickness]

Here's another guy I really didn't like in the 2013 draft: Datone Jones. Found an article saying:

"Although it’s far too early to call anyone a bust, the early returns on former UCLA Bruins star defensive lineman Datone Jones have not been good."

Ted Thompson happy with Datone Jones - NFL Spin Zone - A General NFL Blog providing you all the NFL News, Rumors, Updates, and National Football League News.

Dion Jordan isn't looking like a very good pick either. Another guy I didn't like one bit.

I was way more on top of the 2013 draft than I am this offseason. I think that was my best year for predictions since 2010. Although Tavon Austin could make me look bad if he comes on big next year. He had that one insanely good game against the Colts.

 

[BINGO]

Tyrann Mathieu - DB - Cardinals

Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu has shed the brace on his surgically-repaired left knee.

Mathieu tore his ACL and LCL on December 8 and has now "accepted the likelihood" that he'll miss most -- if not all -- of training camp. His rehab remains on schedule, but Mathieu is trying to take a "veteran's approach" and wants to be 100 percent before returning to the field. The Cardinals reportedly can't keep him out of the facility since the season ended. Mathieu's Week 1 status is up in the air.
Source: Arizona Republic

Mar 9 - 12:00 PM

 

[BINGO]

I had this kid ranked in my top 5 at his respective position, despite all the negativity that was surrounding him entering the draft:

Marquess Wilson - WR - Bears

According to the Chicago Sun Times, Bears second-year WR Marquess Wilson "had a strong offseason" and is "noticeably becoming a better receiver."

21-year-old Wilson has been taken under the wing of Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall, and was one of the stars of Chicago's spring practices. The Sun Times noted Wilson beating first-round CB Kyle Fuller "badly" in man coverage during minicamp. Wilson should be a big upgrade on Earl Bennett for the Bears. His re-draft value is tied to Jeffery and Marshall's availability.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Jun 23 - 1:43 PM

 

[NinerSickness]

I had this kid ranked in my top 5 at his respective position, despite all the negativity that was surrounding him entering the draft:

Wow. Top 5? Gutsy call. Mega-super prop's if he turns into a good receiver.

I loved him as a 7th-round prospect, but I definitely didn't see him anywhere near the top 5.

 

[BINGO]

Cordarrelle Patterson - WR - Vikings

Greg Jennings said he's been told the Vikings are going to "showcase" Cordarrelle Patterson.

After sitting down with new coach Mike Zimmer and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Jennings "quickly got a sense of how prominently Patterson would be featured in the Vikings' offense." It's a stark change from last season, when Bill Musgrave inexplicably shackled Patterson's freakish natural ability. We're still worried about C-Patt's raw route running, but Turner is going to scheme the ball into his hands any way he can. Owners that like to bet on talent and let the chips fall should be salivating.
Related: Greg Jennings
Source: ESPN.com

Jun 23 - 8:14 AM

 

[BINGO]

Tavon Austin - WR - Rams

OC Brian Schottenheimer said he'll be moving Tavon Austin around to "a lot of different spots" this season.

"You'll see us hand him the ball, do some different things," Schotty said. "He's playing so much faster just because he knows what we're doing. He has the system down cold." Austin never found a real role as a rookie thanks to dropped passes and an inability to shake loose in small spaces. We wouldn't rule out the light flipping on in Year 2, but last year's tape was so horrifying that we're skeptical. Schottenheimer failed to scheme Austin successfully last year.
Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

Jun 23 - 8:59 AM

 

[I_am_1z]

Tavon Austin - WR - Rams

OC Brian Schottenheimer said he'll be moving Tavon Austin around to "a lot of different spots" this season.

"You'll see us hand him the ball, do some different things," Schotty said. "He's playing so much faster just because he knows what we're doing. He has the system down cold." Austin never found a real role as a rookie thanks to dropped passes and an inability to shake loose in small spaces. We wouldn't rule out the light flipping on in Year 2, but last year's tape was so horrifying that we're skeptical. Schottenheimer failed to scheme Austin successfully last year.
Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

Jun 23 - 8:59 AM

I know some guys on this board are high on him but Brian Quick and Kenny Britt are getting far more praise at camp. Austin will be nothing more than a decoy this year, IMO.