I love this time of year. As I have said from the beginning of this site, I have one or two religious holidays, and opening weekend for the NFL is one of them. I religiously watch and consume all the football I can during the weekend, especially with Topps Huddle being such a huge factor. There were some big things this past Sunday with so many new players on the hobby radar to watch, and many delivered in spades.
Dak Prescott
There was no bigger rookie during the preseason than Prescott, who played out of his mind versus the vanilla, and played relatively pretty well during the first real action too. Although the Cowboys lost, he threw for a respectable 227 yards. No TDs on the board was a bit disappointing, although the Dez Bryant catch might have been one that should have stood. I think the Cowboys need Prescott to do well, and the hobby sure does as well.
His cards have cooled some, but still very hot:
2016 Origins Dak Prescott Blue Auto RC Base
2016 Donruss Dak Prescott Rookie Phenoms Auto Relic RC
2016 Certified Dak Prescott Freshman Fabrics Auto Patch
Carson Wentz
Even though the Browns are a terrible team, this performance might have been the top of the week in terms of Hobby relevance. Wentz looked like the real deal and had some nice throws for scores along the way. The Eagles traded away Bradford for good reason other than Wentz’s skill, but they sure looked like they made the right move. Wentz already had top rookie value because of his draft position and field position, but this should keep that value high as we go into the first quarter of the season.
Wentz has had good prices all preseason, but not insane after a good start:
2016 Origins Carson Wentz Auto Variation RC /25
2016 Absolute Carson Wentz Triple Relic Auto /199
2016 Score Carson Wentz RC Auto
Jimmy Garoppolo
Im wondering how many people bought a ton of his cards just for a moment like last night. We knew the Patriots were going to be good because they are the Patriots, but seeing the way Garoppolo played was pretty impressive considering the spotlight. When Brady’s suspension went into effect, his cards already hit their ceiling, but its going to be interesting to see what happens when Brady comes back. Im not sure how many more years he will play, and if they see their backup as the future, he could have a nice residual in his value through then. Otherwise, it could be another Osweiler type of situation.
Still a number of deals to be had:
2014 Topps Platinum Jimmy Garoppolo Auto Patch RC
2014 Immaculate Jimmy Garoppolo Auto Patch RC
Ezekiel Elliott
After a tumultuous type of week surrounding him and potential substance issues, Elliott came back and had a nice touchdown run in a game that was overall kind of a wash. I think that he will find his way as the year goes on, but it wasnt a 100 yard type of day for him. Hobby wise, people are always skeptical when there are drug issues, as looming suspensions might follow. Even if he ends up staying clean, and I hope he does, those types of things hurt the open market. Luckily, he plays for an enormously popular team.
Here is where he sits right now:
2016 Contenders Draft Ezekiel Elliott Auto Ticket
2016 Origins Ezekiel Elliott Variation Auto RC /25
Brock Osweiler
Ah yes, one of the bigger acquisitions of the offseason got a good look yesterday, and came out on top. The Bears arent what they used to be, but the new franchise QB of the Texans put up some nice numbers with 230 plus yards and 2 TDs. When he got some time for the Broncos last year, many collectors jumped on the bandwagon knowing that Manning was likely out after the year. I dont think many expected that he would be wearing navy instead of the orange though. Will Fuller put up some good numbers in his first game too, which adds some promise for a Texans team that needs a good year at QB after what happened last year.
2012 National Treasure Brock Osweiler RC Auto Patch /99
2012 Five Star Brock Osweiler Rookie Auto Patch /50
Thursday Extra – Trevor Siemian
The Broncos pulled out a squeaker on Thursday, and this whole QB situation is interesting. Although he threw 2 picks and looks like a serviceable starter, Siemian is not the long term answer in Denver. Paxton Lynch will play, and will play as soon as late 2016 depending on record, and yet we see card prices that dont seem to reflect this. A few years ago, I started talking about the Brady effect, or a guy without many cards who has since become a worthwhile target. Happened with Tony Romo, and for some reason, people are thinking its going to happen with Siemian too. With a first round pick spent on Lynch, I feel like he will not go without every chance to succeed, even if the 2016 season ends with another playoff berth. Supply is trumping everything in this case, as people seem to think its worth dumping 100 bucks into him on the off chance he catches on. Its not a worthwhile look for me. Be cautious people. All I have to say.
Insane for a player like this:
2015 Contenders Trevor Siemian Auto Ticket
I am beyond happy football is back, and even more happy to see how things pan out this year. Although the products have been less than mediocre to poor this year, I have to believe that that a fun season will help everything be at least somewhat better in dealing with the situation in the hobby.