With the NFL season less than two weeks away, we are starting to see some of the reasons why we love football as much as we do. This past week of preseason games was most likely the dress rehersal for week one, and from what we saw, there are some definite people who look to be dropping and those that look to be on the up and up. Some of the 2011 Rookie Class will definitely be making a huge impact for their team, and I want to discuss a few things I believe will be worth a look in the coming week before everything gets going on September 11th.

The Big Pickups To Check Out

LeGarrette Blount

I think Blount is poised for a huge year in Tampa Bay. Josh Freeman is quickly establishing himself as a franchise QB, and when that happens, the running game will benefit. Blount barely played last year, but was still able to rack up over 1000 yards on the ground. This year, barring injury, he should have no problem replicating and exceeding last year’s gains. His rookies are still ridiculously cheap for the normal pulls, and reasonably cheap for his higher end stuff. I picked up a Contenders auto just in case, and I think it may be one of those prospecting moves that actually may pay off if he explodes.

LeSean McCoy

I think McCoy has huge potential to go nuts this year, especially if Vick plays well. Defenses will not know what to do with all the weapons the Eagles have on offense, and McCoy stands to make up big ground as a result. Ronnie Brown will also be in the mix, but not very much. I think this is one of the NFC teams to beat if everyone stays healthy, but that is not a shock. Collectors like McCoy, but not as much as they should, and this is your chance to possibly get in early.

Mike Wallace

Wallace had a big year last year, but went largely unnoticed by people in the hobby. Steelers fans are rabid, but WRs hardly carry any value in their cards due to the disposable nature of the position. That being said, Wallace looks to be on the cusp of another crazy year, especially with the way the Steelers are going to need to compete with the Pats. I think for the price he sells for now, its a good one to look at.

Percy Harvin

Harvin is a Gator, so his cards will always hold value, and he is a Viking which means it will be higher. He is also a crazy go nuts athlete, and he has a QB that can definitely toss the ball around. Without Sidney Rice, this could be a banner year for him, especially if his Migraines are fixed. If they flare up, forget it, but it looks to be on the shelf for now. He had 71 receptions last year on a shitty team, and with McNabb, Peterson, and a healed up offensive line, who knows what he is capable of. Yes, I am biased as a Vikings fan, but take a look, trust me. His cards are down from where they started, but always buy lower and sell high.

Ndamukong Suh

I rarely even cover defensive players because they normally not worth any thing outside of a handful of guys. There is nothing normal about Suh, and he is quickly becoming one of those guys to collect. I love his intensity and obviously his freakish talent, but that will only get more and more awesome as the Lions add to their defense. He is an amazingly nice guy, which kind of surprises me, so I have to like him more than I would another NFC north player, and I wouldn’t hesitate buying a few of his cards.

Drop It Like Its Hot

Tim Tebow

I think there are a lot of people who are finally starting to see what Tebow actually has in the bag, with him getting leapfrogged on the depth chart like he has. Funny enough, he was even upstaged by former Gopher Adam Weber in practice, and had the potential to drop further down the list than he actually was. Right now, Tebow doesn’t look like the team has confidence in him, which is exactly what I thought would happen once they figured out that “being a winner” doesn’t equal “having NFL level talent.”

Tony Romo

The guy that everyone in Dallas loved two years ago is not having the support he once had. Romo is losing lineman left and right, and with things looking the way they are, Im not sure if Dallas is even a playoff team. If he cannot put it together this year, Jerry Jones isnt patient enough to let him continue, and he may be on his way out. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant help things, but Felix Jones does not. It sure doesn’t hurt that the Cowboys starting defense has looked pretty bad against the ones this preseason either.

Rookies to Watch WEEK ONE

Mark Ingram

The Saints are a very good team with a very good quarterback and receiver corps. However, they have never had a running game to match. With Bush finally off the books and no one really to pick up the slack, Ingram is poised for a HUGE year. Collectors are starting to catch on, so he may not even be a “sleeper” this year, but he is someone I would consider.

Check out this ridiculous sale of an Inception Letter Auto 1/1.

Julio Jones

Over the course of the preseason, Jones has shown some flashes of the player he might be in two to three years. If that potential bubbles to the surface early, 2011 could be gargantuan. Ryan could be throwing the ball 35-40 times a game, and with Roddy White drawing coverage away, Jones will get more looks. The Falcons traded up to get him, mortgaging a lot on his production, but I think it may pay off and then some.

Im On the Fence

Matthew Stafford

If one guy has turned it on when it doesn’t count, its Stafford, and I still don’t have the gall to buy up any of his stuff. The injury bug always seems to find certain guys, and he has it like it’s the clap. He looks good so far, but he has no running game with experience, and only two good targets in Johnson and Pettigrew to throw to. Im not sold yet.

Arian Foster

I havent liked Foster in his current situaiton, but its hard to argue with results. The guy was a machine last year, but that is one year in a league that has been known to chew up and spit out RBs like they grow on trees. He already has a hamstring issue that has been re-aggrivated, and when you see a back or receiver go down with one of those, its bad for business. Foster doesnt have many autos because of his draft status and late explosion last year, but that will change quickly. Like Stafford, im not sold.