Pre-season 2021: Weeks 1-3 discussion

[FantasyFreak]

Looking forward to watching Taysom Hill, and how he progresses. He threw a pick last week, but that really wasn't on him, it was on Montgomery. I am also curious to see Callaway again, and if he gets involved.

[mild]

I am also curious to see Callaway again, and if he gets involved.

Colour me curious for more Callaway as well.

I'm actually quite pumped up for this Eagles Pats game today. They've been scrimmaging all week and the beat reporters on both sides have said that Hurts appears the best QB on the field. Mac Jones has flashed too, and Cam has been predictably average. It sounds like this Philly defense might be slightly stouter than expected, too. We might see some first half fireworks in this game though, it sounds like the competition has been good.

Plus we get to see Devonta Smith for the first time, so that's fun.

[Lord_Varys]

I still think this is one of the weakest RB classes I've ever seen. Najee and Williams looked OK, but they aren't special players at all. Still waiting to see ETN, as he only had one carry, but beyond those 3, it's a graveyard for talent. Tough to gauge pre-season, when guys aren't going vs starters, for the most part, too. I remember Abdullah, and then Royce a few years back, had a pre-season that people were hyped about, and, well........

I think this class is average or above average. You have 4 guys I'm comfortable saying should be contributing to fantasy on a weekly basis, which is fine.

Najee is a Mixon kind of talent. Javonte I have in a Jacobs Sanders tier. Etienne is a wild card but if he's used properly in space he can rip big plays - I don't trust Urban to use him right. I like Sermon a lot, certainly not in the grave yard. His contact balance and short area burst can win in the NFL and he is polished on passing downs blocking and catching. Curious why you don't like him.

It's not that I don't like Harris. It's that I don't like him at the cost. Also, I can't put guys who are 23 in the same sentence as prospects who entered the league at 21. I think Harris is a solid player in all areas of the game, but I just am not enamoured with an old RB prospect that doesn't have any great traits. I had Jacobs rated higher than Najee, quite easily. That was before he went to the Raiders, too. Raiders sadly haven't utilized Jacobs in the passing game that much, but that isn't due to lack of ability in that area.

Najee has a lot of great traits. Balance/power. Lateral agility. Athleticism. Hands. Size. Everything you want in a bell cow.

[Lord_Varys]

Ya’ll are sleeping on Sermon because you're stuck on analytics. Injury is the only thing that could hold him back from consistent top-20 finishes.

Elite short area burst and contact balance. Who cares about receiving market share when you can see he is a polished blocker and receiver who went to a team who throws to RB a ton?

[FantasyFreak]

I think this class is average or above average. You have 4 guys I'm comfortable saying should be contributing to fantasy on a weekly basis, which is fine.

Najee is a Mixon kind of talent. Javonte I have in a Jacobs Sanders tier. Etienne is a wild card but if he's used properly in space he can rip big plays - I don't trust Urban to use him right. I like Sermon a lot, certainly not in the grave yard. His contact balance and short area burst can win in the NFL and he is polished on passing downs blocking and catching. Curious why you don't like him.

It's not that I don't like Harris. It's that I don't like him at the cost. Also, I can't put guys who are 23 in the same sentence as prospects who entered the league at 21. I think Harris is a solid player in all areas of the game, but I just am not enamoured with an old RB prospect that doesn't have any great traits. I had Jacobs rated higher than Najee, quite easily. That was before he went to the Raiders, too. Raiders sadly haven't utilized Jacobs in the passing game that much, but that isn't due to lack of ability in that area.

Najee has a lot of great traits. Balance/power. Lateral agility. Athleticism. Hands. Size. Everything you want in a bell cow.

We have a different interpretation of "great".

[FantasyFreak]

Hurts out tonight with an illness. Tough luck for a guy who really needs game reps.

[FantasyFreak]

Travis "the future" Fulgham with another goose egg.

Gainwell with another strong showing.

JJ Taylor and R. Stevenson run all over the Iggles. I know it's only pre-season, but the Iggles have the looks of a team that will be a disaster this year (again).

[Cameron Giles]

Travis "the future" Fulgham with another goose egg.

Mike Evans could never

[FantasyFreak]

Travis "the future" Fulgham with another goose egg.

Mike Evans could never

The small sample size trap strikes again.......

[mild]

the Iggles have the looks of a team that will be a disaster this year (again).

I'm not ready to draw any conclusions about an Eagles offense starring Joe Flacco, and a defense that's missing it's entire starting line. Of course the Pats are going to pound that to death with their 1's in the running game.

One thing I -am- sure about though... we don't have to hear any more about if Jalen Hurts is the starting QB.

This is a soft-benching, I have no doubt. Jalen Hurts would not let "an illness" stop him from playing a game - this is the guy that arrives first and leaves last to every practice. I think they're just saying that to protect their dumb handling of "not naming a starter" - when in truth, they already know from the practice scrimmages this week that Hurts is the guy.

They've seen enough from Joe Flacco, and so have I. Get that man off my screen... He looks like utter dog-shhhht out there.

[mild]

This is a soft-benching, I have no doubt.

Just seeing it on twitter now... he was out there in the pre-game dancing on the field. Clearly VERY sick... pssssh what a joke.

This Eagles HC gonna lose the locker room in no time flat.

[FantasyFreak]

the Iggles have the looks of a team that will be a disaster this year (again).

I'm not ready to draw any conclusions about an Eagles offense starring Joe Flacco, and a defense that's missing it's entire starting line. Of course the Pats are going to pound that to death with their 1's in the running game.

One thing I -am- sure about though... we don't have to hear any more about if Jalen Hurts is the starting QB.

This is a soft-benching, I have no doubt. Jalen Hurts would not let "an illness" stop him from playing a game - this is the guy that arrives first and leaves last to every practice. I think they're just saying that to protect their dumb handling of "not naming a starter" - when in truth, they already know from the practice scrimmages this week that Hurts is the guy.

They've seen enough from Joe Flacco, and so have I. Get that man off my screen... He looks like utter dog-shhhht out there.

Regardless of who's out there, there is no way a team wants to lose 35-0. Guys are playing for their livelihoods, and it just doesn't look like a good situation in Philly. They have a fairly weak roster, and Nick "systems" Sirianni certainly isn't instilling the world with confidence in his abilities as of yet.

[mild]

Nick "systems" Sirianni certainly isn't instilling the world with confidence in his abilities as of yet.

We are in hard alignment there!

Sounds like Jalen really might have contracted something in the 20 minutes between him dancing in warmups and the whistle blowing

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status ... 7709460487

That's pretty snakebit if it's really true. But my conspiracy mind still wants to believe this is Sirianni horseplay at heart

[Jigga94]

I've been classifying this RB class as a 2019 copycat for a while as well. Too many similarities. Najee has a lot of GOOD traits, similar to Jacobs coming out. He's not a world beater, not a superb athlete, decent pass catcher... which I think could translate to RB1 numbers if he's a bellcow, which the Steelers utilize and they also have no other options.

What worries me most is age. He's 23. Last year CEH and JT were both top 10 dynasty RB before taking the field. Dobbins and Swift were top 15. They were all 21.

This year, we have Harris top 10 already and he's ahead of all the aforementioned RB besides JT. I think the hype has gone too far. He's a year older and has shown nothing obviously. Usually the rookie RB get ranked higher than what's proven because of the age window they have, but Najee doesn't have that luxury. Similar thing happened to CEH last year as he was the overhyped RB last year and is now outside the top 10. But he's still 22... I'd rather CEH straight up right now to Harris. A year younger, better offense, etc.

If Harris doesn't have an RB1 year as a rookie, then he's 24, the 3rd year guys are still a year younger and with a new class incoming. How far would he drop for most people? That's where I think he is a risky pick.

Maybe I'm just higher on the 2020 class than consensus, but I don't see a top 5 RB when I watch Najee, which is where he is already ranked

[Jigga94]

Guys, Sirianni said himself that he was putting smart systems in place to build a smart football team. "The first part of being smart is knowing what to do... less thinking equals talent take over."

Saying he could lose the locker room would imply he ever won it over at begin with...