Pyro's Take:

While Boldin would like a new contract, he's realized he probably won't get one until the end of this season. He also said he'd be open to resigning with the Cards once his contract expires after the 2010 season. Either way, it looks like he's ready to go and should be the No. 1 fantasy receiver we expect him to be.

Pyro's Take:

The contract actually only locks up Delhomme for the first three years, after which he will be almost 37. He said last year didn't take a toll on him and he feels fine, so who knows how long he can go.

Pyro's Take:

Phew. This is a guy that we are high on, and the last thing we wanted to deal with is a holdout. McNabb spreads the ball out, yeah, but it's only due to the low-grade WR corps he has had over the years. Look at what he did with TO. Maclin is no TO, but he has the most upside of the Eagles pass-catchers.

Pyro's Take:

This can't shock anyone. Edwards does not seem to care about football, he is more concerned with his male-modeling career. Put us in the camp of fake-injury believers.

Pyro's Take:

Huh? So that makes the JaMarcus Russell to Heyward-Bey connection priced out at $115 million all told. Poor Al.

Pyro's Take:

Robiskie is expected to compete with fellow second-round draft choice Mohamed Massaquoi for the starting spot opposite Braylon Edwards. But with Edwards sidelined with an apparent ankle injury (if you ask us, he's fakin), both players will get plenty of snaps with the first team.

Pyro's Take:

Reports have said that Moreno and the Broncos could be waiting for No. 10 pick Michael Crabtree to sign before they negotiate, and that might take a while. If this goes on much longer, Moreno could lose significant fantasy value. Trends have proven that rookie skill players who hold out of camp don't do well in their rookie seasons because they are behind the curve.

Pyro's Take:

Pettigrew is expected to contribute immediately to a team in need of a TE. He should have a solid rookie year, but nothing to write home about.

Pyro's Take:

After the Bucs made TE Kellen Winslow the highest paid TE ever (and biggest mistake ever), Daniels, whose numbers rival Winslow's, has lobbied for a new contract. He won't get one until next year and it won't affect his performance on the field, as he reported to training camp on time and is ready to go.

Pyro's Take:

Collie, 23, is old for a rookie, but QB Peyton Manning has liked what he has seen thus far and tagged him to be a strong competitor for the third receiving spot. He's competing with Pierre Garcon and Roy Hall, but Collie did lead the nation in receiving yards last year, not to mention his 15 TDs. It'll be a good battle.

Pyro's Take:

Brown signed just before training camp opened, which is good because he doesn't miss any time. The Colts are raving about him, and we expect him to get a fair amount of touches this year.

Pyro's Take:

Jennings has put together an impressive offseason and will challenge Greg Jones for the backup RB spot to MJD. However, MJD will own the rushing attack so expect nothing much out of either of these guys.

Pyro's Take:

Where do we begin. Holdouts even for credible reasons typically spell doom for rookies, but this is nutty. It still has not sunk in with him (or his agent) that the NFL is gonna be a wee-bit different than playing for Texas Tech and against second rate cornerbacks in a system that props up WR stats. We are bumping him WAY down our cheat sheets based on this.

Pyro's Take:

This is great news. Moreno has all of the intangibles to become a pro-bowl caliber RB in this league. A lengthy holdout could destroy that opportunity for him, and fantasy nation needs as much insight from the pre-season to assess where and when to draft him. We have him in our sleeper bucket and are expecting big things.

Pyro's Take:

Some people were reporting that this deal could top $120 million. It didn't reach that, but it still makes Eli the 8th person ever to have a contract worth over $100 million, if you include the $9.4 mil he's due this year. The deal includes $35 million in guaranteed money. That's just absurd.

Pyro's Take:

Nicks has looked sharp this first week of training camp, and he's a good bet to see a lot of snaps this year now with Plax gone and Steve Smith the Second as the No. 1 receiver.

Pyro's Take:

As stated earlier, the deal was around the corner and we are glad it's behind him. The eight day holdout is nothing to sweat. He will have plenty of time to make up. Let's get this pre-season going already!!! This kid's talent is off the charts.

Pyro's Take:

We're not seeing what the Falcons or White's camp accomplished by even having this bite into one hour of camp, much less a week, but it shouldn't do much damage. We're just glad to not have to knock down White in our rankings. He and Matt Ryan have a bright future together.

Pyro's Take:

We really didn't see this coming and we're not too sure on where he fits in Philly. Wildcat? Surely they have a bona-fide QB in McNabb, some solid receivers in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Kevin Curtis, and not to mention All-Everything RB Brian Westbrook. We'll see how this plays out.

Pyro's Take:

Not a good call by the Chargers at all. If I'm Rivers' agent, Im tacking on at least $3 million per year to whatever Eli finally signs for. Rivers is better than Eli in every stat column that matters. GM A.J. Smith has also intentionally been holding on to that franchise tag in the event negotiations go wrong.

You stay classy, San Diego.

Pyro's Take:

The attitude the Crabtree camp has taken is right in line with everything we have read about Crabtree's attitude towards the game. Huge head, sense of entitlement, sorta like a diva, but can play the game at a high level. The karma on this one is stinking something fierce.

Pyro's Take:

We really didn't see this coming and we're not too sure on where he fits in Philly. Wildcat? Surely they have a bona-fide QB in McNabb, some solid receivers in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Kevin Curtis, and not to mention All-Everything RB Brian Westbrook. We'll see how this plays out.

Pyro's Take:

Campbell is one of those guys that it's hard to get a bead on. He's got an immense amount of talent and a perfect physique for his position, but has lacked the consistency needed for him to succeed. He will finally be playing in the same offensive scheme two years in row this year, so hopefully that will aid in that deficiency. We like Campbell to be better than his numbers last year and would have no problem with him as a backup on our fantasy team in 2009.

Pyro's Take:

After goosing up the fantasy world in his rookie campaign back in 2004 to the tune of 1,193 yards and 7 TDs, Clayton has gone on to put up 1,513 yards and 2 TD's... over the past four years! Of course, as is customary in the world of sports, Michael was rewarded this past off-season with a five-year, $24 million contract to keep giving the Bucs this kind of crap effort.

Pyro's Take:

Henne could have had two TDs on the evening, but Ricky Williams butterfingered the second one. His arm strength was as impressive as advertised, while his accuracy and in-game command were better than normal. If Henne keeps this up, current starting QB Chad Pennington might be forced out of the lineup before his contract runs up at the end of the year.

Pyro's Take:

Henne could have had two TDs on the evening, but Ricky Williams butterfingered the second one. His arm strength was as impressive as advertised, while his accuracy and in-game command were better than normal. If Henne keeps this up, current starting QB Chad Pennington might be forced out of the lineup before his contract runs up at the end of the year.

Pyro's Take:

Big-time kudos to the Broncos organization for taking their stand against the sulking Marshall. Brandon must have realized he was in a no-win situation, so he decided to tuck in his tail and go back to playing the game. Marshall ran with the second team in his first day back, but that was probably just to get his legs back under him. He still wants a raise, and will hopefully be going about it in the correct manner now by earning it out on the field.

Pyro's Take:

Take the money, Jamal!

Pyro's Take:

We've been scratching our heads since the Chiefs inked Cassel for over $60 million a few weeks ago. We want to know who is supplying the crack to these GMs in the NFL, and we want that person arrested. The insanity has got to stop at some point. Cassel will struggle all year. He was not that good to begin with. Randy Moss makes all QBs look good - except in a Tom Walsh authored offensive scheme.

Pyro's Take:

This is how the Bungals conduct business. It's why they continue to be a punch-line in this league. You think Ochocinco is silly? We'd pay $5 bucks to watch a day in the life of Bengals owner, Mike Brown - he of the franchise record 101-186-1 and a whopping playoff appearance (loss) since taking over in 1991.

Pyro's Take:

We at Pyro headquarters can't wait to see this kid in action, so we hope the contract talks start to heat up soon. There was a rumor that Crabtree was looking for a house in the Los Gatos area, so if there's any truth to it, that would be good news for 49er fans. However, it doesn't change the fact that there's still no budging by either side on how much this kid should be making per year.

Pyro's Take:

This is yet another of many reasons to have much love for this kid. He plays the game with his heart on his sleeve and understands that in the world of sports, you don't always have to be a jag to get what you want. Whether this move gets the Cardinals to pony up the cash for a new deal for Anquan Boldin or not remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Pyro's Take:

This is yet another of many reasons to have much love for this kid. He plays the game with his heart on his sleeve and understands that in the world of sports, you don't always have to be a jag to get what you want. Whether this move gets the Cardinals to pony up the cash for a new deal for Anquan Boldin or not remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Pyro's Take:

Fast Willie P. was hampered by injuries most of last year, but that isn't the reason why FWP wasn't the main man. In 2008, the Steelers made Rashard Mendenhall the first running back drafted in the first-round since they took Tim Worley out of Georgia back in 1989. The Steelers brass would love to see that pick work out for them, so they seem to be pushing Parker out of the mix a bit as FWP sits in a contract year this year. We're guessing that the third-down role stays as Moore's in 2009 as the Steelers put their plans to infuse Mendenhall more into their game-plan to work.

Pyro's Take:

Fast Willie P. was hampered by injuries most of last year, but that isn't the reason why FWP wasn't the main man. In 2008, the Steelers made Rashard Mendenhall the first running back drafted in the first-round since they took Tim Worley out of Georgia back in 1989. The Steelers brass would love to see that pick work out for them, so they seem to be pushing Parker out of the mix a bit as FWP sits in a contract year this year. We're guessing that the third-down role stays as Moore's in 2009 as the Steelers put their plans to infuse Mendenhall more into their game-plan to work.

Pyro's Take:

Fast Willie P. was hampered by injuries most of last year, but that isn't the reason why FWP wasn't the main man. In 2008, the Steelers made Rashard Mendenhall the first running back drafted in the first-round since they took Tim Worley out of Georgia back in 1989. The Steelers brass would love to see that pick work out for them, so they seem to be pushing Parker out of the mix a bit as FWP sits in a contract year this year. We're guessing that the third-down role stays as Moore's in 2009 as the Steelers put their plans to infuse Mendenhall more into their game-plan to work.

Pyro's Take:

Crabtree is one of the most talented receivers to hit the pro ranks over the past decade, so it would be a shame to see his rookie campaign affected by a simple numbers game. We don't normally think it's right to give in to players money demands, but the 49ers might want to think about loosening up a little bit with Crabtree as it would be a terrible mistake to lose out on the services of this kid over the next few years.

Pyro's Take:

The first-team Redskins offense hasn't scored a TD yet in the first two games, but they haven't played more than just a handful of series together. We never expected this team to be a high-powered attack, so nothing here has us scratching our heads. Campbell, however, has been on our radar as a sleeper this year due to this being a contract year and finally working his second straight year under the same system. He won't put up starter-caliber numbers, but should be a serviceable backup this fantasy season.

Pyro's Take:

The contract itself is comparable to the one Eli Manning signed not too long ago, with Rivers getting more guaranteed money and Eli receiving a higher annual salary. If this is the going rate for QBs nowadays, then San Diego is the team getting the better deal here. Rivers has the intangibles over Manning, even if Manning is the one with a ring at the moment. We don't believe this new set-for-life deal will affect the way Rivers plays in any way, so keep him ranked on your cheat sheets as a back-end starter in 10-man leagues.

Pyro's Take:

This really is a sad state of affairs, as both the 49ers and football fans alike are anxiously awaiting the beginning of ultra-talented Michael Crabtree's career. We are of the belief that a deal will be struck before the start of the 2009 season, but each day that goes by lessens the impact that Crabtree will have this year. Keep bumping the unsigned rookie down your cheat sheets, as he may even enter himself back into the 2010 draft if the Niners can't meet his demands.

Pyro's Take:

Davis knows people in Crabtree's camp, so there might very well be some truth to this report. It would be a shame to miss out on watching the super-talented wide receiver this year, but the 49ers are taking the correct stance for themselves and for the league. If just one player upsets the rolling pay-scale for rookies, the NFL and teams will start to see multiple player holdouts every year from then on. Until Crabtree learns the effect his demands have on the rest of football, continue to bump him down your draft day rankings.

Pyro's Take:

Smith will be faced with a learning curve but irrespective of that, this is good news for Palmer, Ochocinco, Coles, Henry, and Benson owners.

Pyro's Take:

Smith will be faced with a learning curve but irrespective of that, this is good news for Palmer, Ochocinco, Coles, Henry, and Benson owners.

Pyro's Take:

Smith will be faced with a learning curve but irrespective of that, this is good news for Palmer, Ochocinco, Coles, Henry, and Benson owners.

Pyro's Take:

Though Ricky seems to have lost a step after watching him this preseason, he's still a great asset to the Dolphins team. As coach Tony Sparano puts it, "From what he brings from a work-ethic standpoint, as a pro in the meeting rooms, he's a good ambassador of our message to the younger players."

Ricky has had a tumultuous career to be sure, so we commend him to the utmost for keeping his head and finishing his career with honor and class. Keep Ricky pegged as your handcuff to Ronnie Brown in upcoming drafts.

Pyro's Take:

Again, we applaud the Denver organization for not backing down, but something needs to be done about this guy. We'll see if the recent suspension had the effect the Broncos were looking for, but we're betting against it. Hopefully Marshall just shuts up and plays the way he's capable of.

Pyro's Take:

Talk about rookie mistakes! After winning on the road against the defending NFC champs without their unsigned first-round draft pick, Samurai Mike should have realized that the team now has the clear upper-hand in negotiations with Crabtree. Hopefully he hasn't stifled the progression of the situation because of his boneheaded maneuver.

Pyro's Take:

Peyton's brother Eli got a monster six-year extension this past off-season, as did Philip Rivers. Since Peyton is probably twice as good as his brother, expect this next contract he signs to be of Alex Rodriguez-sized proportions.

Pyro's Take:

Hmmm, a 27-year old man who just signed a $25 million four-year contract saying 'no thanks' to the money based on a radio interview? That is some seriously funny shit right there.
Jacobs should be back up in the 4 YPC range in no time.

Pyro's Take:

Who's Michael Crabtree again? Oh wait, is he the guy who plays Oliver Twist and constantly says, "Please sir, can I have some more?"
The Niners aren't about to up their offer, so we'll see how the Crabbytree takes the news this time around.

Pyro's Take:

Just making the meeting happen pretty much assures that Crabtree will sign. The real question is, does it matter? He doesn't know the playbook, probably isn't in true game shape, has no rapport with his QB, and still needs to gain acceptance from his coach and teammates. Our guess is that he has no impact on the fantasy football world until at least Week 10, and maybe not at all.

Pyro's Take:

There were no specifics to tell whether the 49ers gave in to any of Crabby's demands, but we're betting that somehow both sides came out winners on this one. We still feel Crabtree won't have a fantasy football impact until at least Week 10. It will take time to get acclimated to the pro game, learn the playbook, and work himself into game shape. Keep him on your bench for now.

Pyro's Take:

It's good to see Marshall finally letting his actions do the talking instead of his whining. His play and his attitude are much improved, as is his fantasy football value now that he is in sync with QB Kyle Orton.

Pyro's Take:

Reggie has one 100-yard rushing game, three 100-yard receiving games, and a combined 21 touchdowns in his 4-year career. $8 million? The Saints better ask him to restructure his contract.

Pyro's Take:

Quinn claims he put his home up for sale because he's a bachelor and can't deal with the upkeep of his 5-bedroom house. His fantasy football value still stands at None at this point.

Pyro's Take:

The Chiefs have very little going for them, so trading away their best player (who is still playing on his rookie contract) doesn't seem like the smartest move right now. Kansas City may indeed stink, but Bowe still has WR2 fantasy football value.

Pyro's Take:

Branch parlayed one decent, healthy year (2005) into a basically untradeable contract, so the 'Hawks better plan on him being around for awhile. He shouldn't even be on your fantasy bench at this point.

Pyro's Take:

The Bears end up with somewhat of a steal here with Cutler getting around $50 million from now to 2013. There were skeptics and naysayers galore when the Bears gave up the farm for him in the off-season, but Cutler has more than proved his worth and will now be the focal point of the Bears offense for years to come.

Pyro's Take:

DeShawn Wynn was just said to be out for one month, but will likely be put on injured reserve due to the Green signing. Brandon Jackson will be the backup RB for one more game, but that might be it for him. Ahman is now the handcuff to Ryan Grant for your fantasy team.

Pyro's Take:

DeShawn Wynn was just said to be out for one month, but will likely be put on injured reserve due to the Green signing. Brandon Jackson will be the backup RB for one more game, but that might be it for him. Ahman is now the handcuff to Ryan Grant for your fantasy team.

Pyro's Take:

Norwood is in a contact year, so this is unfortunate for him. Some lucky team could nab him in the off-season for cheap if his injury woes keep up. Put him on the end of your fantasy football bench for now.

Pyro's Take:

Jones signed a nice little contract for himself with the Niners, but has yet to catch a pass this season. He had good chemistry in the preseason with QB Alex Smith, however, which might be why Singletary is bringing him up.

Pyro's Take:

Wow, the Bengals really don't have a care in the world for character, do they? Larry is set to make the pro-rated minimum for this year and will sit as the fourth-string RB behind Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, and Brian Leonard. Unless Benson goes out to injury for an extended period of time, don't expect to see this piece of shit "insurance policy" garner a single carry the rest of the season. He is not fantasy football worthy.

Pyro's Take:

Holmes was seventh in the NFL in receiving yards this year with 1,248 and put up career highs in receptions (79), first downs (63) and yards. He played all 16 games and is set to make just $755,000 in the last year of his rookie contract in 2010. We expect a deal to be reached before training camp as well.

Pyro's Take:

No official statement has been made by the team yet, but this looks to be a done deal. Phillips wasn't just the coach this year, but also took on the defensive coordinator responsibilities while leading the Cowboys to the 2nd ranked defense behind the NY Jets. He also led the team to their first playoff win in 13 seasons and has compiled a 33-15 regular season record while capturing two NFC East titles in his three-year tenure.

Pyro's Take:

Warner left with one year remaining on a two-year, $23 million contract, so he must really be looking forward to leaving the game. He retires with 32,344 passing yards (26th all-time), 208 passing TDs (26th all-time), a 93.7 career passer rating (currently 6th all-time), an average of 258.8 passing yards/game (2nd all-time, P. Manning), and a career completion percentage of 65.5% (2nd all-time, C. Pennington). He also has two league MVPs and one Super Bowl ring to his credit.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Finally the Bears have "their guy". After going through a lengthy search composed mainly of candidates who pulled out of the running before an offer was even made, Chicago ended up settling for someone who had no problem ripping Jay Cutler to shreds early on in 2009. In order to mend possible broken bridges between the two, Martz immediately flew down to Tennessee to speak with Cutler after his interview.
Animosity aside, Cutler stands to gain the most fantasy-wise from the hiring, while TE Greg Olsen stands to lose the most. Martz has never been one to integrate the tight end into his offensive schemes, but wide receivers Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett could be in for a nice uptick in value, as should RB Matt Forte.

Pyro's Take:

Not to be too harsh on the Ravens front office or anything, but what the hell are you thinking? Throwing around a million bucks at a guy who was more of a detriment to former teams than an asset, isn't really the best way to go about improving a major position of need.
However, this won't be the last move they make to upgrade their receiving corps, so Balty fans can at least take that to bed with them until the draft in late April.