On this 4th of July, the day our country celebrates her independence by blowing things up, allow me to make a case for selecting Drew Brees as a mid to late first rounder heading into your 2009 drafts. I mean, speaking of fireworks, you have seen that New Orleans offense, right?
Brees is the ringleader of the most wide open offense in the NFL. Period. The Saints are a pass-first, pass-second, and pass-third team. So much so, that many of head coach Sean Payton's "running" plays are merely swing passes to either Reggie Bush or up-and-coming Pierre Thomas. Over the last two seasons, Brees has averaged over 40 passing attempts per game. That's a lot folks and, with the departure of RB Deuce McAllister, that figure looks to stay put...if not increase in 2009. It may not always lead to wins for the Saints, but it'll definitely translate to smooth, creamy fantasy goodness for you.
Drew Brees' three-year averages, since signing with New Orleans, are 4,640 yards and 29 TD's. Those numbers would constitute a career best spike for most QB's, but not our boy. He's coming off an '08 season in which he fell one incomplete pass short of setting a new NFL record for single season passing yards. He has plus group of wideouts, led by Marques Colston and Lance Moore, and the aforementioned Bush, possibly the most dangerous backfield receiving threat in the league if he could just focus and stay healthy for 16 games. Brees is also a maestro of the one facet of quarterbacking that sets the greats apart from the rest, finding the open man. The Saints had seven players with at least 30 receptions in 2008 and Brees completed at least one pass to 16 different guys. Hence, the solid 2 to 1 TD to interception rate for Brees as a Saint.
I'm not saying that you should definitely take Brees if you find yourself drafting number six or later in your 12-team league this draft season. I'm just saying he should be in the discussion. Beyond my Top 5 RB's(Purple Jesus, Mojo, Burner Turner, Forte, and Gore) I simply do not see another back who offers the same kind of virtual assurance that you get from Brees. Steven Jackson, Marion Barber III, and Brandon Jacobs all offer tantalizing upside but carry with them a very dubious injury histories while old school stalwarts like LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, and Clinton Portis are all getting old in a hurry and trending downward. Do you like the other rookies besides Matt Forte? Chris Johnson perhaps? Consider that LenDale White stole 15 TD's last year and has lost around 30 pounds this offseason in an effort to get more playing time in a contract year for him. Possibly Steve Slaton? The Texans are determined to keep Slaton's carries down in '09 and have brought in Aryan Foster, a bigger rookie back from Tennessee, in hopes that he can help in that regard.
In the end, it's your decision to make. Just keep this in mind, you'll never win your league in the 1st round but you can definitely lose it there.
Of course, there are always WR options like Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, and Larry Fitzgerald too. But that's another conversation for another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment