Category Archives: rookie recap

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 5 Receiver Bonanza

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Week five was the week of the rookie wide receivers, as there were more than one that had a coming out party as the expense of their opponent. There were also some wild finishes as well as some hardcore beat downs, and I had a pretty good time watching it all go down.

Austin Collie

Most of you are probably wondering who the fuck Austin Collie is. He is a rookie out of BYU who managed not one, but two TDs against an ailing Titans’ secondary. He had a myriad of good plays, and according to Reggie Wayne, is a guy who spends a ton of time studying the game. Now, knowledge does not a good receiver make, but in this case, it sure helped. Lets see what happens next week, as with Wayne and Garcon tearing it up, he probably wont be much of a factor in the long run, especially with Gonzo also in the mix.

Jeremy Maclin

Holy fuck, welcome to the NFL Jeremy Maclin. He had an epic day with close to 150 yards receiving and 2 TDs, and finally looked like he knew what the crap was going on. We were flipping between the Vikings blowout and this game, and were continually shocked how he gained as much as he did. Good thing too, because Maclin had done little to nothing up to that point.

Percy Harvin

Percy led the Vikings with 4 catches for 66 yards, including one that was that close to being a TD. Favre really spread it around, but Harvin’s ability to stay on his feet at all costs is ridiculous. The guy is going to be as good as anyone in this draft, believe me, and I hope that he continues to play well next week when we will really need it.

Mike Wallace

If you asked me who would be the top receivers of the draft this year, I would not have put Mike Wallace anywhere on that list. He has been great as a number 3 or 4 for Pittsburgh, and has put himself ahead of many of the WRs who were drafted ahead of him. He caught his first TD of the year on Sunday and is close to leading the rookie WRs in yardage. His cards are already high because of the team he plays for, but he is quickly living up to those values with each passing week.

Mohammed Massaquoi

Where the fuck did he go? Oh, right, Cleveland. He still led the Browns in receiving, but with 1 catch for 16, you know what I am talking about. He is going to be the Browns number one for the rest of the year, seemingly, but I wouldn’t go buying your PC of him quite yet.

Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon had a good day with 88 yards on the ground, but against a Pats run D, that is much better than it looks. The problem is that he cant hold onto the ball, a problem that could haunt him a la Adrian Peterson, which means that he has a lot of growth still required to be remotely successful.

Glen Coffee

When you are out rushed by Shaun Hill, white guy of the year, there are problems. He did get a TD, but the Falcons pretty much crushed the niners in every aspect of the game. Gore is the guy, and as soon as he comes back, Coffee will be relegated to backup again. Hold off on him.

Matthew Stafford

He spent his first week on the bench due to the injury, even though he was in uniform and looked ready to play in the event of a catastrophe. Of course, the Lions are always in a state of catastrophe, but looked good against the Steelers up until the last drive. It should slow down Stafford’s return table, so be aware.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-bey – Shut out last week, but again, may be on the worst team in the league.
Beanie Wells – Cardinals are a passing team, and he has done little to nothing.
Brandon Pettigrew – He was supposed to be a new breed of TE, he has done little.

Michael Crabtree – He is on here until he does something. He deserves it.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 3

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All of you know how awesome of a week this has been, especially with the Bungals beating the Steelers, Manning destroying the Cardinals on Sunday night, and the crazy ending to the Vikings game. The rookies decided to show up too, with a few of them having some great games.

Matt Stafford

How could I not lead with the Lions winning? Im still in shock that they were able to put it together for a full 60 minutes. Stafford played pretty well too, as he showed he is starting to gain that confidence he needs to grow in such a horrible offense. Stafford threw a TD that started everything off for the Lions, thus bringing his total to two in three games, but he didn’t throw an interception, so that is like icing on the cake for a rookie QB. I still say its not a good idea to hold his cards, but at least it’s a LITTLE more promising now that the streak is over.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez played another great game and came away with another win. It was another great defense, the best arguably, but he was calm and collected even during a bad second half. He had a great TD pass to Cotchery in double coverage and ran one in from 14 out. He ended with with 3 total TDs and is making a few people wonder why they may have passed on him at picks 2-4 in the draft. Sanchez cards are at the peak of their value right now, so if you have them, it may be good to sell and rebuy later, if there is a later. Looks like he will be the Matt Ryan value of his class this year.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was great in the Vikings win, scoring his third TD in as many games. He played great during the second half especially, running back a kick 101 yards and catching some key passed on the final drive that led to the score. He ended up with his best game in terms of yardage, but the return was the spike the Vikings needed to stay in the game after being shut down time after time by the Niners’ Defense. Like Sanchez, Harvin’s cards are at the peak of their value, so it’s a great time to sell if you arent a fan.

LeSean McCoy

Im thinking that Brian Westbrook doesn’t feel so bad he missed that game anymore as McCoy sure picked up the slack with ease. The Eagles routed the Chiefs and McCoy got his first TD of the year. He also racked up 80+ yards and a YPC avg over four yards in the effort. McCoy should be pretty good in the long run, though he will always be overshadowed by Westbrook. Keep his cards for right now, as his value has a lot of potential to go up from here.

Knowshon Moreno

Welcome to the NFL Mr. Moreno. Nice to see you. Glad you put up 90 yards and a TD, bout time a running back in Denver does well, right? Knowshon looked pretty good in his first game with a focus over Buckhalter, and I would expect by week 8 he will have 70-80% of the carries. He is a great back, and should continue to put up numbers week after week. As with all the first round running backs, his value is high due to the Peterson effect, but as it starts to come down, it should be a good idea to pick some of his stuff up.

Donald Brown

That 72 yard scamper was pretty impressive wasn’t it? Well, it helped him put up the first 100 total yard game for a non-QB rookie this year, and jumped his value pretty high as a result. Brown doesn’t have the luxury of a huge college following like Wells, but he showed why he needs a pro following. Wells managed -2 yards on 2 carries, while Brown did great. This guy is a keeper.

Johnny Knox

Another game, another TD for Knox, despite the fact that it was his only catch of the game. He sure has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears, as the rest of their receiving corps is almost as inexperienced as he is. Because of the fact that he has done as well as he has, sell as fast as you can. Its not going to go much higher than it is unless he goes for 150 and three TDs somewhere later in the season. That’s a risk I would be willing to take.
The Rookie Graveyard


Here is where I want to talk about some rookies that Im sure are making a few of you guys pretty angry with their lack of contributions to their teams.

Jeremy Maclin – Where the hell have you been? Having 6 receptions for 46 yards on the season is a crap start for a guy I thought would be the star receiver of his class. Wow.

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Im sure having a QB like Jamarcus Russell is a contributing factor, but 1 reception for 18 yards on the whole year is poop. We all know he shouldn’t have been drafted so high, but hot damn, get moving!

Beanie Wells – I think a lot of people are pretty happy that Beanie isnt doing great so far. They say he was a beneficiary of playing at OSU, and it may be starting to show.

Hakeem Nicks – 2 receptions for 19? Doing worse than Hey Bey, but his team doesn’t need him as much. EDIT: Looks like he was injured week 1, my page on NFL.com didnt show that, my fault on this one…

Next week is looking pretty good, especially with Harvin going up against the Packers on Monday night. Now that the rookies are pretty secure in their roles, it could be interesting to see how values respond. Glen Coffee will have his first game against a defense that he can take advantage of, and may have a great game in Gore’s absence, Sanchez looks like he may be in for his first test as he faces the Saints, and with the Bears going up against Detroit, who knows.

Also, be sure to check out my rookie of the week write up on the Upper Deck Blog as soon as the player is announced. You can also enter your cards to track the performances of a few of the guys I talk about here and possibly win some prizes if you have the ROW in your portfolio. Pretty cool.

Even if the rookies didn’t come to play, this season has still been a great ride so far. I hope it will continue to be as exciting as it has been, as there have already been some great stories. Next week is when things start to get interesting, so don’t miss it under any circumstances. Trust me, it only gets better from here.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 2

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The week is pretty much in the books, and there was actually a lot of rookie action during the games, so ill try to keep it short to cover all the recaps. There were definitely some surprises as well, and a few possible contenders for rookie of the week, in addition to those who were also coming off good games in Week 1.

Mark Sanchez

Who wouldve thought that a rookie QB could actually beat the almighty Patriots. I didn’t. Sanchez played well, and even threw a nice TD en route to another win. I would think that after this week, in addition to last, his cards should continue to soar in price. I wouldn’t go out and buy any until he comes down from this high, though he may not actually do so if the Jets continue to have a good season. Regardless, 163 and a touchdown is always a good performance against a stingy defense.

Matt Stafford

After the first half, I was sweating the Lions play against my Vikings, as Stafford was actually hanging in there. He wasn’t counted on much, mostly handing off to a rushing game that was having success. Then, when the second half started, and the Vikings were gaining momentum, he crumbled as most rookies would. He ended up adding to his interception total rather than his small TD total, which led to the kitties losing again. His cards were a bad hold to start, and though he will probably end up with a good career, this year will not be a good one for his card value. He will throw more INTs than TDs, and should end up with one win, four at the most. I will say this, the Lions do look BETTER than the Browns this year.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had another good week, though he was playing against a defense that could be one of the softest he plays all year. He had a few key third down catches, as well as a touchdown, which should raise card and fantasy value even more than it already is. One thing I noticed watching him was that like Peterson, Harvin refuses to go down. There was one play where he had four Lions trying to push him back and still ended up falling forward for a few more key yards. He is going to be great.

Johnny Knox

Mr Knox had another good game, catching 6 passes and touchdown for 70 yards. With Forte sputtering (YES!), Knox has been there to pick up some of the slack, something I would guess Cutler is quite happy about. His values started climbing last week, and will continue this week, as he proves himself to be a vital part of the Bears’ young receiver corps. Knox looks good, and could potentially be a star one day, so those fans looking for a Bear to collect should go to him.

Julian Edelman

Who the fuck is Julian Edelman, right? He had a great week for the Patriots in the absence of Wes Welker, thus proving that Brady needs a goofy white guy to throw to each game, haha. Edelman was one of the last picks of the draft, and wasn’t even invited to the combine, though had a great pro day. He obviously made the team, and could end up as a good four guy for the Pats. I wouldn’t expect long term success, but he did look amazing in his role. Considering the Pats have two great receivers already, he may not be a good one to invest in quite yet.

Knowshon Moreno

The Broncos made Moreno more a part of their offense this week, and he responded with the best performance out of a rookie back so far this year. He put together close to 100 total yards, and though he didn’t get a TD, im sure he will continue to be a good option for a team that lost their best player. Moreno should end up being great, but right now its obvious that he is still feeling things out. Im guessing he will be the first one to break a big one of all the rookies this year. Not Chris Johnson or Matt Forte style from last year, but still good. Donald Brown still has yet to play, so we will see what is going to happen with that.

Beanie Wells

The Cardinals played MUCH better this week, and therefore Beanie wasn’t as much of a focus. Hightower got their rushing score, and Wells managed 7 for 44 yards. Not awful, but not great either. He is going to need to prove his worth, especially with Fitz and Boldin being the lynchpins of the offense. I would say he should be a good back eventually, but its going to take a big game for him to gain the trust to handle more stuff. Hightower will get the goalline carries, so that’s also going to be a problem for the people who collect him. He has an OSU following, so his cards wont be cheap, but they wont be worth much more until next year probably.

Maclin and McCoy

These two guys could end up being the best rookie tandem of the year, but so far Maclin has done nothing. He had 2 catches for 22, which doesn’t bode well coming off a shutout last week for him. McCoy had a decent game with 55 total yards, which was great with Westbrook in front of him. It shows that the Eagles want him there, and should solify some of his card values. McCoy should develop nicely this year, and with the starter being kind of injury prone, he could move up quite quickly.

Next week is also looking like it could be a good week for the rookies, and you can bet that this is the time where the teams are also cementing depth chart roles, as well. We should see a big rookie week next week, and I am looking forward to seeing how Stafford and Sanchez come off their games respectively. If Sanchez wins again, look for astronomical prices, the opposite happening for Stafford if he continues to throw picks. Marky Mark got lucky playing for a good team, so it will be great for his values once the end of the season comes. Oustide of that, we shall see how Harvin and Knox continue, as well as seeing if Britt and Hey Bey grow in their roles.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 1

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Thank the fucking lord its football time again. That’s all I gotta say. Yesterday was almost an out of body experience, as it was awesome just to take in all the action. I spent the entire morning gearing up for the Vikings game, and when it came time, my excitement was at critical mass. Now that Sunday is over, the Vikings are huge winners, and we have some idea as to a few rookie roles, I want to go over the weekly rookie recap for all you prospectors out there. Each week, in place of last year’s value bumps, ill run down some of the top rookie performances and go over what it should mean for their cards. Hopefully this can help a few of you out. It has only been one game, small sample size rule in effect, so take this as you will.

Mark Sanchez

From the beginning of it all, Sanchez was pretty highly touted as the one NFL ready QB in the draft. He gave a lot of credibility to that sentiment as he led his team to a big victory over the Texans. His TD was a wide open throw to Chansi Stuckey, but the rest of his performance wasn’t as easy. You can bet dollars to donuts that his cards are going to spike this week due to his good game, but im sure there will be just as many bad weeks as there are good ones. Be wary of holding his stuff too long, however, Sanchez did look like the real deal.

Matthew Stafford

It was established early on that Stafford was going to have a very tough time doing well with such a poor team in front of him. Yesterday was definitely a testament to that as he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns in a Lions loss. Granted, the Saints are one of the better teams in the league, and a tough start to a career that is going to be rough at first, but Stafford did not perform very well. The Lions were kind of in it for some of the game, but no one doubted the success of Brees and company who rolled all over them in the fourth quarter. Stafford’s value shouldn’t drop too much, but it was never a wise idea to hold him in the first place.

Percy Harvin

When Sunday’s game ended, I was practically shaking from the excitement over what the combination of AD, Favre and Harvin could bring. Harvin was the only non-QB rookie to score a TD on Sunday, and had some KEY runs and catches near the goal line to help the Vikings. He was as good a decoy in addition, as I saw the Browns try to account for him every time he stepped onto the field. He also had a couple good kick returns that set up the team close to the 50, and should be a major contributor in the futrure for the Vikings. He isnt going to be 1998 Randy Moss this year, but he is worth a look either way. His values are already pretty high, so it may be better to wait until he cools off a little, but once he does, get on it.

Beanie Wells

For every OSU fan in the world, there are probably three OSU haters, all of who’s eyes were on Wells yesterday. He got as many carries as Hightower, but didn’t get much of a good look due to a good showing by the Niners’ defense. I would say that Wells should end up with one of the better seasons for the rookie RBs, but he will need to improve dramatically. There was one play where he just went the wrong direction and basically left a 38 year old Warner to fend for himself, something that will not fly in this league. Its mistakes like those that could hurt him, though I doubt it will happen again.

LeSean McCoy

Many of us were on board with McCoy before the Eagles even took him in the draft. When the Eagles did take him, a lot of collectors saw a lot of room for growth behind Westbrook, who was coming off an injury season. Its great to see that McCoy put up the best numbers of all the big rookie running backs, even though it was only 46 yards. He should have a good season, though the McNabb injury definitely hurts those chances. I would say that him and Donald Brown will fight it out for best rookie back after it is all said and done, even moreso if Westbrook goes down again.

Donald Brown

Brown got some carries yesterday, though he only averaged 3 yards per. Addai is going to be the focus until he cant run, so Brown will be delegated to off series. He should do pretty well, if only because the Colts will do well, and could put up a five or six TD season. I wouldn’t go running out to buy any of the rookie back cards, but Brown is cheap enough that it may not be a bad idea. His value didn’t go very high in the off season because he didn’t have throngs of college fans chasing his stuff, but he should be good enough for you to take a look at.

Knowshon Moreno

I don’t think yesterday’s game was a good measure of Moreno’s potential, mainly because NO ONE did well, but I think his eight carries for nothing bear some concern for the people that have him as a target. Peyton Hillis looked like he went down, meaning Moreno’s carries will go up, but he needs to perform even when he is back number three. I say that Moreno shouldn’t have a bad season, its just not going to be crazy. If you are holding his cards, be sure to prepare yourself for a longer wait than I once expected.

Mike Wallace

Before Thursday, I didn’t know who Mike Wallace was. Much to the chagrin of Titans fans, he became the pride of Steelers nation after the game, basically securing a win for them with a huge catch in OT. His cards are not going to be worth anything until he shows any consistency, but you can see why his values went from scrub to a little more than scrub after his catch.

Johnny Knox

Last, but not least, Johnny Knox was week 1’s top rookie receiver in terms of yardage, so far. He may have only caught 2 passes, but his 68 yarder was a step away from a TD. He caught another ball for more yards, making him a surprise for the Bears, also solidifying his place on the roster. Knox was not a premiere guy, so his autos are probably numbered pretty high, but that also means that you can easily pick a few of them up for a receiver who may make you a few dollars if he continues to play well.

Im still eager to see how Hey Bey and the other Monday night rookies perform tonight, but I am looking just as much towards next week with a few of the rookies with possible good games. I would look for Harvin against the Lions, Moreno against the Browns, and Brown against Miami.