Shanahan Strikes Again

[Hache Man]

Shanahan Strikes Again
While many fantasy owners curse Mike Shanahan for playing fast and loose with the Broncos’ running-back depth chart, I’ve come to realize that the true beauty of Shanahan is that he’s so predictable in his unpredictability. Shanahan named Mike Bell the starting running back at the beginning of training camp and then went all preseason with him as Denver’s No. 1 guy, even releasing Ron Dayne along the way.

Then, just as we probably should have expected The Mastermind to do with Week 1 right around the corner, Shanahan told reporters Monday that he hasn’t quite decided who’ll start the season opener. Shanahan blamed Tatum Bell’s improved play at the end of camp for his sudden indecision, but the odds are pretty good that this was in the works the whole time.

For a fleeting moment it looked like Denver might actually begin the year with a clear-cut No. 1 running back—imagine the joy that would have given everyone who grabbed Mike Bell with a late-round pick—but now that’s out the window. Expect both Bells to split touches in Week 1 and don’t be surprised if they eventually slide into a job-sharing arrangement similar to the combo Tatum Bell and Mike Anderson formed last season.

While we all make our annual mental note to not trust Shanahan next preseason, here are some other notes from around football …

• It got somewhat lost in the shuffle with all the Deion Branch rumors flying around, but the Patriots made a major move to solidify their receiving corps with or without Branch, acquiring Doug Gabriel from the Raiders for a fifth-round pick. I loved Gabriel as a sleeper before the trade and a move to New England boosts his fantasy stock even further assuming he can grab hold of a starting spot relatively soon.

Gabriel caught 37 passes for 554 yards and three scores playing behind Randy Moss and Jerry Porter last season, including an eight-catch, 100-yard performance in Week 17. The Patriots typically spread the ball around and figure to throw a ton to tight ends this season, but they’re thin at receiver beyond Branch and Gabriel should like catching throws from Tom Brady a lot more than he did from Kerry Collins.

Meanwhile, dealing a projected starter like Gabriel for a mid-round pick is a curious move on the Raiders’ part and indicates that they’re comfortable with Ronald Curry and perhaps even Porter behind Moss. Curry practiced with the first-team offense Monday, while Porter remains in coach Art Shell’s doghouse heading into Week 1. Curry is an excellent sleeper, but carries one of the biggest injury risks of any player in football.

If healthy, he’ll be a solid WR3 with big-time upside. Unfortunately, “if healthy” is wishful thinking for a guy who has played just two of the Raiders’ last 20 games because of back-to-back season-ending injuries The Raiders may be confident enough in Curry to deal Gabriel and keep Porter on the bench, but Curry’s iffy track record with staying on the field suggests we haven’t seen the last of Porter as a fantasy option in Oakland.

• For much of the summer, it looked like Cedric Benson had a legitimate shot at unseating Thomas Jones in the Bears’ backfield. With Jones unhappy because of his contract, Chicago reportedly shopped him around the league as speculation grew about the team wanting to give Benson the job. When Jones began training camp running behind Benson and then strained his hamstring, the scales seemed to tip even further in Benson’s favor.

Unfortunately for Benson, teammates and the injury bug eventually did him in. Benson injured his shoulder in early August and several Bears reportedly ratted him out to coach Lovie Smith after he left the sidelines during a preseason game, showing that the locker room was loyal to Jones. Benson is finally healthy again, saying Monday that he’s “fully healed” and expects to play in Week 1, but it’s too late.

Smith named Jones the starter Sunday and Benson is now back in the same spot he was last season, wondering how much work he’ll get as a backup. Chicago surely planned to have Benson starting by now when they picked him fourth overall in last year’s draft, but inconsistency and injuries have given Jones a chance to show that he’s the better short-term option. Jones will be a shorter leash than last year, but it’s still his job to lose.

Two-Minute Drill: Coach Eric Mangini said Monday that the Jets’ running game will be “package based,” which is just another way of saying no one will have much fantasy value early on … Joe Klopfenstein is expected to start for the Rams in Week 1 and should be moved up on last-minute cheat sheets … Koren Robinson made an official visit to the Packers Monday, but still may end up receiving a one-year suspension from the league … Thomas Tapeh will reportedly start at fullback for the Eagles and could be in line for some goal-line touches … Jeff George’s signing and near-immediate release from the Raiders is the leader in the clubhouse for this season’s highest hype-to-impact ratio.

Red Zone: Clinton Portis (shoulder) is reportedly day-to-day and coach Joe Gibbs indicated that he’ll need to practice this week in order to play Monday … Darrell Jackson (knee) returned to practice Monday, seeing his first live action since the Super Bowl … Because of a groin injury, Mike Vanderjagt may not start in Week 1 … Already out for the season, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday that Domanick Davis (knee) is unlikely to ever play for the Texans again … Terrell Owens (groin) pronounced himself “ready to go” for Week 1 … Hines Ward opined Monday that Ben Roethlisberger will only miss one game because of an emergency appendectomy, but Ward might be forgetting that he missed over two weeks with the same surgery a few years ago

[EagleFan5]

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