Huh. Looks like I traded Brandon Marshall and Chris Cooley to Hamlet for Owen Daniels and Josh Morgan. Ah, yes, that was the season when every TE I activated immediately went on IR.
I may name my next kid “Really Not All That Bright”-let just to thank you again for that.
In all fairness, Turner was coming off a 1700 yard season (Peterson had outrushed him by 60 yards) in which he scored 17 TDs to Peterson’s 10. Could have been worse, too; DeAngelo Williams was the third leading rusher in 2008 and he had 18 touchdowns.
You traded Nate Burleson to Justin Bailey for Jason Witten*, traded Jason Witten back to Justin Bailey for Reggie Bush, and now you traded Reggie Bush to me for Shane Vereen and Mark Ingram.
It’s not too late! You can still trade Ingram or Vereen for Nate Burleson (still with Justin Bailey) to complete the cycle.
- = I assume that was during our league’s brief, initial infatuation with return yards.
You’re excused. I don’t think anyone expected Turner to completely drop off the way he did.
That was during my “Oh my god, I have no WRs!” period. I had Roddy White and Donald Driver, but after that I was digging through the scrap pile for anyone. Burleson was meant to be a stopgap to get to the end of season and somehow he’s hung around ever since.
Huh, the little where are they now/self review idea is interesting. Let’s do that.
Bwuh?
Man, look at this draft from 2009. I inherited it and I can’t believe how OLD this group was at the outset of a Dynasty format.
3 of my top 6 picks have been RETIRED for at least 2 years (And Dallas Clark should have been). There’s only 3 starters left from this draft, and Welker is the only one who isn’t a matchup play. Not a single player after the 11th round, kickers and defenses excluded, is starting on a NFL team and only Tarvaris Jackson is still in the league. I only have 4 players still on my roster from this draft. Wow, just wow.
1. (9) Steve Slaton (Mia - RB)
Out of the league, or fourth string in Miami, or something. Not sure which is worse.
This looked like the pick of the first round originally, aside from AP at #3. Slaton was young, the feature back in a good running offense, and the future looked bright. I never handcuffed him with Arian Foster and he fell quickly into uselessness.
2. (16) Randy Moss (SF - WR)
Retired.
I thought Moss had the sort of body type where he could’ve played at a high level into his late 30s. I thought I was going to get at least 5 good years out of him. Woops.
3. (28) Aaron Rodgers (GB - QB)
Still beasting.
One of the best picks of the draft, has been a rock solid contributor to my teams all these years, always near the top of his position, and still has at least 5 good years left in him.
4. (45) Braylon Edwards (NYJ - WR)
Free agent.
I really thought he had enough talent to be a star, wherever he ended up. I still don’t really know what happened to him.
**5. (52) Eddie Royal (SD - WR) **
Traded away for Kyle Orton and Tony Gonzalez, had a blip of fantasy usefulness this year.
I was choosing between Royal and DeSean Jackson and made very much the wrong choice. Royal had caught like 600 balls his first year and I thought he had a higher floor. I thought he was going to be a solid WR2. Woops. He kinda disappeared, not sure why.
6. (69) Leon Washington (NE - RB)
Technically on NE although I haven’t heard his name in a long time.
I thought he was going to turn into a Darren Sproles type of guy, I liked his talent. But too much special teams, too little running back.
7. (76) LeSean McCoy (Phi - RB)
Still going strong.
Getting him at pick #76 is a good sign that we didn’t know what the hell we were doing that first draft. Westbrook was ahead of him and a first rounder, but it was clear he was the future.
8. (93) James Davis (Det - RB)
Detroit’s practice squad, which I didn’t think was even legal since he’s played in a few real games.
At the time it looked like he was going to be the starting RB for the Browns. Oh well.
**9. (100) Ted Ginn Jr. (Car - WR) **
WR In Carolina. Cut.
Apparently he’s doing alright over there, with a couple of big TD plays. I cut him at some point.
10. (117) Chris Henry (Cin - WR)
Died in some altercation with his girlfriend, Bengals style.
Ah, dynasty.
11. (124) Zach Miller (Sea - TE)
Still playing, traded him and Bernard Scott to RNATB for Jermichael Finley.
No player in that trade ended up being great. Finley has been borderline start worthy, except I’ve always been loaded at TE. Miller and Scott ended up not really being worth rostering, so I guess I got the better of the deal.
12. (141) Minnesota (Min - DEF)
I think they’re still in the league.
**13. (148) Davone Bess (Cle - WR) **
Still going.
I cut him fairly recently. He was a decent enough flex option at times, usually put up 8 points fairly consistently.
14. (165) Jerome Harrison (Det - RB)
Brain cancer.
Shh.
**15. (172) Johnnie Lee Higgins (Phi - WR) **
Free agent.
Oakland has a habit of making guys look like they might be starters, because someone has to start, but then that guy disappears the next year. There’ve been like 15 of those guys.
**16. (189) Justin Gage (Ten - WR) **
Retired.
I don’t really remember anything about him.
**17. (196) Josh Cribbs (Oak - WR) **
Free agent.
I think I cut and re-added Cribbs a few times to my roster, and at one point even traded Tony Gonzalez away for him. Which was obviously a bad trade, except I had Gronk and Graham at the time and never started Gonzo anyway. Cribbs was occasionally useful as a flex starter.
**18. (213) Trent Edwards (Chi - QB) **
Free agent.
I kept him around for a couple of years, but then I decided that keeping no backup quarterback was superior to keeping Trent Edwards.
**19. (220) David Clowney (Buf - WR) **
CFL.
He was a nominal starter with NYJ at the time and it was a 19th round pick. Don’t think I kept him through the year.
**20. (237) Mike Bell (Det - RB) **
Retired.
21. (244) Bernard Scott (Cin - RB)
Free agent. Traded to RNATB with Zach Miller for Jermichael Finley
22. (261) Greg Camarillo (NO - WR)
Free agent.
23. (268) Jason Avant (Phi - WR)
Still playing in Philly. Better than Steve Smith. I think I cut him.
**24. (285) Jason Hanson (Det - K) **
Retired. He was a kicker. He kicked for me.
**25. (292) Rashad Jennings (Oak - RB) **
Oakland, still playing. He was an MJD injury lottery ticket that never went anywhere. Cut.
That leaves a grand total of 3 players/units still playing for me from the original draft. Rodgers, McCoy, and the Minnesota defense. Pretty much a complete rebuild.
I wonder what the average number of players still with their original team is in this league, probably 5? It’s kind of amazing how much fantasy changes over a few years - our original draft is a distant memory.
I do think my current team, though, will look fairly similar to my team in 3 years. All of my guys are young and unlikely to drop off the face of the Earth. I’ve truly got a dynasty going.
I get it now. I had a momentary brain lapse when reading Beef’s post.
1. (11) Brandon Jacobs (NYG - RB)
Cut after last year’s 49ers detour.
Jacobs had just come off two straight 1,000 yard seasons. I had high hopes, I got two years.
2. (14) Frank Gore (SF - RB)
Still starting.
Gore is the rock of my RB corps and while he’s lost a bit of a step, I still expect a year or two out of him.
3. (26) Roddy White (Atl - WR)
Traded for Drew Brees
White was entering his prime when I drafted him and his injuries (and the rise of Julio Jones) makes it look like I got rid of him just in time.
4. (47) Reggie Bush (Det - RB)
Traded for Jason Witten
Chalk this one up to a fantasy drafting mistake. I’m honestly not sure how I got Witten back for Bush straight-up. I think it was it straight-up.
5. (50) Jason Witten (Dal - TE)
Traded away, got him back, still starting.
Witten is a solid TE who was around before the explosion of TEs the league has seen. At the time, I assumed I was drafting a unique property. But he’s still solid and will probably hang around for a bit.
6. (71) Donovan McNabb (Phi - QB)
Retired.
I was one of the last to grab a QB and I thought McNabb was my best option here. Eli and Schaub were still on the board, so that was clearly a mistake. But I always liked McNabb and he did well until he fell off the face of the Earth a few seasons ago.
7. (74) Tony Gonzalez (Atl - TE)
Traded with Kyle Orton for Eddie Royal
I was really high on Eddie Royal at the time (don’t ask me why) and I definitely gave up too much to get him. In my defense, I thought Gonzo was going to retire any day then. Somehow, he’s still playing.
8. (95) Laveranues Coles (NYJ - WR)
Retired
On the downside of his career, but I thought he had some life left in him. I got a season or two, but I should have been looking for youth by this point.
9. (98) New York (NYG - DEF)
Cut
I love my G-Men, but their defense is woeful this year and they’re not even worth a backup spot.
10. (119) Stephen Gostkowski (NE - K)
Still starting
He kicks field goals, and I let him.
11. (122) Donald Driver (GB - WR)
Retired
I always liked Driver and I knew that he was older, but I was amazed I got him this late. He put up good numbers for as long as I expected him to.
12. (143) Muhsin Muhammad (Car - WR)
13. (146) Torry Holt (NE - WR)
Both retired
As you can see, I had a thing for veteran receivers and I filled a ton of roster spots with guys who were this close to retiring. They played a bit, they were OK, and then they retired
14. (167) Willis McGahee (Cle - RB)
Cut
McGahee did pretty well for four seasons and I think I got good value out of him at this pick. I hope he does well in CLE (but not too well).
15. (170) Le’Ron McClain (SD - RB)
16. (191) Deion Branch (NE - WR)
Retired
See Mushin Muhammad and Torry Holt. Though I can’t believe Deion Branch hung in there as long as he did.
17. (194) Kyle Orton (Dal - QB)
Traded with Tony Gonzalez for Eddie Royal
I traded Orton at the height of his hot streak, so I probably should have gotten more for him. But I can’t worry too much about the after-trade life of a clipboard QB.
18. (215) Correll Buckhalter (Den - RB)
19. (218) Anthony Fasano (KC - TE)
20. (239) Michael Clayton (NYG - WR)
21. (242) Jason Elam (Den - K)
Retired/Cut
They old.
22. (263) Cleveland (Cle - DEF)
Cut
Ha! They were replaced as my backup defense very quickly.
23. (266) Brett Favre (Min - QB)
Retired
I grabbed Favre this late with every intention of trading him away to a contender for a younger guy and that’s exactly what I did. I got Laurence Maroney though, so I can’t really put it in the win column.
24. (287) Joey Galloway (Was - WR)
25. (290) Rian Lindell (TB - K)
Retired and/or Cut
It looks like 6 of these guys are still on my roster (including 5 of my first 8), while 7 were sent away in trades. Not a terrible return, overall, but the failure to draft a RB who worked out has really hurt me.
1. (10) Larry Fitzgerald (Ari - WR)
2. (15) Calvin Johnson (Det - WR)
I remember I was planning to take Steve Slaton with my first pick, but Beef ninja’d me. (Thanks again.) Problems at the RB position have plagued my team right from start, but I’m still pleased with these two picks.
3. (27) Marion Barber (Chi - RB)
4. (46) Knowshon Moreno (Den - RB)
Barber was the closest thing to a quality 2009 starting RB left on the board; after a mediocre 2009 he had two years as a backup and was out of the league.
Fucking Knowshon Moreno. A promising enough rookie season, then did jack shit for the next 3.5 years. After being a healthy scratch for the first 2/3 of last season I finally got fed up and cut him, as which point he almost immediately became the nominal starter (though may god have mercy on those who count on a Denver RB). RNATB has him now.
5. (51) Greg Olsen (Car - TE)
Was set on taking Jason Witten here, but he went to Justin one pick ahead of mine and I panicked. A pretty big overdraft. Nonetheless, he’s still on my team, and had a nice year in 2012 (something like the 6th ranked TE), and is off to a good start this season.
6. (70) Matt Ryan (Atl - QB)
At the time I thought this one would look better than it does, but Ryan finally became a good fantasy QB last year, and he’s got at least another 4-5 years in him.
7. (75) Santonio Holmes (NYJ - WR)
Traded him to Ellis for Tony Romo. Seems like his career has been swallowed whole by the Jets franchise.
8. (94) Baltimore (Bal - DEF)
Still on my roster, amazingly enough.
9. (99) Jerious Norwood (StL - RB)
His first three years he carried the ball 297 times for 1735 yards (5.8 YPC), while catching a ton of balls. Then I drafted him and he averaged 3.1 YPC for a few years and now he’s in the CFL.
10. (118) Brady Quinn (NYJ - QB)
A Jets backup. The less said the better.
11. (123) Julius Jones (NO - RB)
Wow, remember him? Was immediately useless, out of the league since 2010.
12. (142) Kenny Britt (Ten - WR)
Still on my roster. Looked unstoppable for a 5 game stretch at the end of 2010; I’ve been waiting for him to get healthy ever since then, but he looks horrible now and there’s nothing to do but wait a little longer.
13. (147) Matt Leinart (Buf - QB)
I cut him at some point a couple years ago. He was like a can’t-miss prospect once. Currently not on an NFL roster.
14. (166) San Diego (SD - DEF)
They were sent to Ellis as part of the Holmes/Romo trade (I got Pittsburgh’s DEF in return).
15. (171) Sidney Rice (Sea - WR)
He broke out huge out first year (over 1300 yards). Towards the end of that year I traded Rice and Vince Young to furt for Jonathan Stewart and Michael Crabtree. Looked like a blockbuster, but every one of those four players has disappointed since then. Rice is now keeping Percy Harvin’s spot warm for him in Seattle, and doing ok.
16. (190) Brandon Jackson (Cle - RB)
Who? I have no recollection of this person having existed. Literally. Historians believe he was a backup RB in Green Bay and later Cleveland. Not currently on an NFL roster.
17. (195) Darrius Heyward-Bey (Ind - WR)
Bust city from day one, I dropped him and picked him back up a couple times. Eventually I traded him and Chad Henne to furt for Anthony Gonzales and KC’s DEF. He’s still fooling fantasy owners into thinking he could be a viable WR5. Now in Indy.
18. (214) Jordy Nelson (GB - WR)
Sigh. Pretty sure I dropped him during our first year when I saw a picture of him and found out he was a white guy. (That might be a true story.) SenorBeef has been enjoying my mistake ever since.
19. (219) Keenan Burton (StL - WR)
He was out of the NFL after our inaugural season. He plays in the UFL now.
20. (238) D.J. Ware (TB - RB)
He was a depth guy on the Giants who was always described as being a particular favorite of the organization. Never panned out, basically out of football now.
21. (243) Robbie Gould (Chi - K)
Still kicking for the Bears, still pretty good as those things go. I cut him and resigned him and cut him again, as bye weeks rolled around.
22. (262) Pierre Garcon (Was - WR)
Sent him to Stringer for TB Mike Williams before Williams had played a game. Later traded Williams to RNATB for Justin Blackmon before ***Blackmon ***had ever played a game. He’s currently a mediocre, well-payed starting WR for the Redskins.
23. (267) Randy McMichael (SD - TE)
Never did anything after our draft, currently not on an NFL roster.
24. (286) Vince Young (GB - QB)
Part of the Sidney Rice trade, above.
25. (291) Chad Henne (Jax - QB)
Part of the Heyward-Bey trade, above. Now backing up Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville, which says it all.
You had a choice between Maroney and CJ Spiller (Or was it Jamal Charles?).
Charles.
Again, to be fair to past me, Maroney was outproducing Charles at the time and I was, IIRC, fighting for a playoff spot.
Daryl Richardson put up almost nothing and Gronk is out. I’m pretty scared for this week. Going to gamble on Stephen Hill, I think it may be my first start of him.
Actually, retro needs to fix his defense, unless he’s deliberately avoiding starting Washington, which may be wise at this point.
Jordan Cameron TD projection: 22 TDs.
Do you actually put stock in these projections?
Yes. I’m making them. I’ve changed my mind. 35 TDs.
It’s looking good for me to survive this week. Retro didn’t adjust his defense on bye, though, so it’d be shitty if I win by less than the margin their other defense would’ve scored. But I may be okay.
I had a choice between Bryan Hoyer and Gabbert today as the only other available QBs in the league since I had no starting QB on my roster. Looks like I made the right call there.
Cameron impresses again with 10 recs and a TD, another 20 point game. Once Gronk gets back I’m going to have to run double TE again, I just can’t not start 2 guys who are gonna put up lots of 20+ point games. Unless someone wants to trade for one.
Garrett Graham looks like the future at TE in Houston, and put up a lot of points in the games he’s been healthy. It looks like all new exciting tight ends grow up on my team.
The Rams defense against the 49ers was my highest projected defense by like 8 points, but I made the right call and started the Browns, a 20 point difference.