After days of speculation, the Bengals have settled on a receiver to lineup opposite of Chad Ochocinco. ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the team has signed 29-year old free agent Antonio Bryant.

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the deal is worth $28 million over four years with incentives.

Bryant was hampered by knee injuries last year and strapped with playing with a rookie quarterback in Tampa Bay.  He played 13 games and had 39 receptions for 600 yards, an average of 15.4 yards per catch, with four touchdowns. In 2008, he enjoyed a career year with 83 receptions for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns.

The move in all likelihood signifies that the Bengals will not sign Terrell Owens, who was in town on Wednesday visiting the team.

While I still a fan of going the Brandon Marshall route, but that would have required the team’s first round pick, No. 21 overall and an even bigger contract. Bryant has upside and is the lesser of two evils between the two free-agent options. Either way is a huge upgrade of Laveranues Coles, who was released by the team two weeks ago.

Fantasy Football, NFL cincinnati bengals, antonio bryant, terrell owens, chad ochocinco, laveranues coles

A week after he was released by the Jets, running back Thomas Jones signed a two-year deal worth $5 million and incentives with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jones, who is coming off a career season in which he had 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns, is expected to take over short-yardage duties and provide a nice change of pace to the team’s emerging young runner, Jamal Charles.

Expect to still see Charles be the team’s primary threat out of the backfield, but the arrival of Jones could prevent him from having the breakout season in 2010 that many experts were expecting.

From a fantasy perspective, Charles now slides into more of RB2 option worthy of a second or third-round pick with his value rising a bit in PPR formats. Jones is still a solid option in TD-heavy formats and should provide nice depth for owners when taken into mid-to-late rounds.

Fantasy Football, NFL kansas city chiefs, thomas jones, jamal charles

It has been no secret that the Baltimore Ravens have lacked talent in the passing game for some time, but they made big strides to change that on Friday when they traded for former Pro Bowl wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

The Ravens acquired the three-time Pro Bowl player and a fifth-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for their third- and fourth-round picks in next month's draft. That is a far cry from the price tag that the Cardinals were seeking last off-season.

Boldin’s physical style of play will suit the Ravens well.  The team already added free agent Donte Stallworth, who provides a deep threat to stretch the field, earlier this off-season.

"The Ravens just got better," coach John Harbaugh said. "Anquan is a significant addition for us. He fits the personality of our team with the hard-nosed, physical way he plays. We love the way he competes. Our fans will enjoy watching him compete, and his teammates will be excited to have him with us."

The additions are huge to the team’s offense and should only help young quarterback Joe Flacco’s development. The Ravens may have just taken the slight edge as early favorites in the AFC North.

Check out the GSI TWITTER page for more free agent news.

Fantasy Football, NFL baltimore ravens, anquan boldin, 2010 nfl offseason, nfl trades

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Denver Broncos have tendered disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Marshall with a first-round tender.

If another team makes a player with a first-round tender on them a contract offer during the free-agency period beginning Friday, the player's current team has seven days to match it, or it will receive a first-round draft pick as compensation.

Marshall undoubtedly is one of the league’s most talented wideouts and is entering the prime of his career. However, multiple clashes with head coach Josh McDaniels during his first season in Denver have led the team to putting him up for grabs.

The fifth-year receiver out of Central Florida is coming off a season in which he caught 101 balls 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns, all career highs. His 21-catch, 200-yard performance against Indianapolis last season was one of the greatest receiving days in NFL history.

A change of scenery may be just what the doctor ordered for Marshall. If I am a NFL general manager, I wouldn’t hesitate in giving up a first-round pick if I was in the market for a wideout, he’s the best one available via the draft or free agency by far.

Fantasy Football, NFL denver broncos, brandon marshall, 2010 nfl offseason

JONES SET TO BE RELEASED
In a move that comes as no surprise, the New York Jets will release veteran running back Thomas Jones on Friday. Jones was due a $2 million roster bonus and with Shonn Greene waiting in the wings the soon-to-be 32-year old became expendable...MORE

MCNABB ON THE MOVE?
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has the topic of plenty of off-season trade rumors. The latest has the veteran signal caller landing in St. Louis. According St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell, the Rams have had "intense internal conversations" about a possible trade for McNabb…MORE

BOLDIN OFFICIALLY ON MARKET
Arizona Cardinals’ general manager Rod Graves has confirmed that the team is listening to all offers for disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Though nothing appears imminent, the former Pro Bowl wideout could be shopped around heavily between now and April’s draft…MORE

MANNING EYEING RECORD DEAL
Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning is nearing the final year of his deal and Yahoo.com speculates that as the team works towards a new deal this off-season that the future Hall of Famer could command $25 to $30 million per season…MORE

RYAN-THOMAS REUNION?
If the New England Patriots decide to cut outside linebacker Adalius Thomas, then he probably won't have to wait long to find employment. A call to his previous defensive coordinator should be all it takes. He spent seven years with the Baltimore Ravens and played under Rex Ryan, now the New York Jets' head coach…MORE

PLENTY OF INTEREST IN DANSBY
There are reportedly over a dozen teams that could be interested in pursuing Cardinals’ pending free-agent linebacker Karlos Dansby. The Giants, Redskins, Bears and Dolphins are among the teams showing interest, according to the Palm Beach Post…MORE

Fantasy Football, NFL new york jets, thomas jones, st. louis rams, donovan mcnabb, arizona cardinals, anquan boldin, peyton manning, indianapolis colts

from Philly.com:

The Eagles announced today that they plan to release Brian Westbrook, one of their all-time greats.

The 30-year-old running back's decorated career with the Eagles is now officially over after eight seasons.

"This is a tough day for the Philadelphia Eagles," head coach Andy Reid said. "Anytime you have to release a player like Brian Westbrook, that’s not an easy thing to do -- neither for us or for Brian. I had an opportunity to talk to Brian this morning about the situation and inform him that we were going in a different direction. Brian was tremendous with it and very professional with it."

COMPLETE ARTICLE

Fantasy Football, NFL philadelphia eagles, brian westbrook, andy reid

After nine years the San Diego Chargers parted ways with running back LaDainian Tomlinson when they cut the veteran on Monday. The franchise was due to pay him a $2 million roster bonus and a $5 million base salary this coming season.

Tomlinson, who will be 31 before the kickoff to the 2010 season, finished with 730 yards on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows and was hampered by injuries.

He ranks eighth on the league’s all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career rushing touchdowns rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third.

Look for the Chargers to draft a running back and to potentially add more to its backfield depth during free agency.  Darren Sproles, who is a restricted free agent that will command $7 million to retain, appears to be the team’s top RB option for the time being.

Where will L.T. land, in anywhere? Expect to see him show up somewhere, but only in a limited role. Tomlinson is on the record as saying that his top remaining goal is "to win a championship".

Here are a few places that make sense to me: Bears, Eagles, Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Texans, and Titans.

Fantasy Football, NFL san diego chargers, ladainian tomlinson, 2010 nfl offseason

Many of you heard about Fidelity Investments' employee Cameron Pettigrew who was fired from his job for playing fantasy football this season. The large investment firm has strict policies against playing fantasy sports and terminated Pettigrew's employment after intercepting instant messages he received about his team.

The 27-year old broker received plenty of attention and notierity within the fantasy sports indusrty after he was axed.  That has been parlayed into him getting a free trip to Miami for the Super Bowl.

The unusual firing made headlines, and the story attracted the attention of Dustin Ashby, commissioner of the World Championship of Fantasy Football league. That league paid for Pettigrew's promotional trip to Florida, and waived his $1,000 entry fee to the league's 2010 Main Event draft in Las Vegas.

Ashby wouldn't say whether the league had a ticket for Pettigrew to attend the Super Bowl game.

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The Chicago Bears named former Rams’ head coach Mike Martz as their new offensive coordinator on Monday.  Known for his zany play-calling and aggressive passing, he could be just the boost that Jay Cutler needs to kick start his career and once again become fantasy relevant.

We all know about what he did during his days leading the “Greatest Show on Turf”, but what about his days since then as an offensive coordinator?

His most recent in San Francisco wasn’t the best, but the team wasn’t a great fit and once Mike Singletary took over it simply wasn’t a match.

However, before that he did have some impact in Detroit. He helped Jon Kitna pass for 4,000 yards in a season in both years he was there. Wide receiver Roy Williams enjoyed his best season as a pro, finishing with 1,310 yards, 7 TDs in 2006.  Running back Kevin Jones posted a career-high 61 catches and 520 receiving yards during the same season. Under Martz, even wide receivers Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey showed up on the fantasy radar and haven’t since.

Chicago still lacks talent at wide receiver and I don’t know if there will ever be a great passing game in the Windy City late in the season due to the elements and that is never good come fantasy playoff time. Still, here’s my take on what it means from a fantasy standpoint:

--Jay Cutler: He will get back to throwing over 4,000 yards and will see an increase in passing touchdowns.  I still expect him to turn over the ball at a high rate, but the arrival of Martz definitely keeps him in the low-end range of QB1 heading into next season. His value goes up even more if the Bears are able to improve at receiver during the off-season.

--Matt Forte: Already solid in PPR formats, Forte will be a top 5 running back in league’s where you get points for receptions. Under Martz though I am not sure his rushing numbers will go up and his total touchdowns shouldn’t see much of an increase either.

--Greg Olsen: Tight ends have never been a big part of the Martz’ offense. Still, Olsen is the most-gifted target Cutler currently has so expect him to have a large role.

--Bears wideouts: Martz will get value out of them and will be able to utilize the blazing speed the group possesses. It will be interesting to see which receivers emerge on the depth chart, but rest assured at least one of them will. Figuring out which one may be tougher than you think though.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, mike martz, chicago bears, jay cutler, matt forte, greg olsen

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I have never been a fan of having my fantasy running back play for a bad NFL team.

It makes sense if you think about it. Bad teams typically are playing from behind and therefore rushing opportunities are generally limited.

History has certainly indicated that my concerns are validated. Entering this season only 19 running backs (19 percent) have finished as a top 10 fantasy runner while playing for a NFL team that finished below .500. Here's a year-by-year look at the precious few.

2008: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (5-11), 8th
2007: Willis McGahee, Ravens (5-11), 8th
2007: Frank Gore, 49ers (5-11), 9th
2006: Frank Gore, 49ers (7-9), 4th
2005: LaMont Jordan, Raiders (4-12 ), 8th
2004: Tiki Barber, Giants (6-10), 2nd
2004: Domanick Davis, Texans (7-9), 5th
2003: LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (4-12), 3rd
2003: Fred Taylor, Jaguars (5-11), 8th
2002: Shaun Alexander, Seahawks (7-9), 5th
2001: Priest Homes, Chiefs (6-10), 2nd
2001: Corey Dillon, Bengals (6-10), 6th
2001: LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (5-11), 7th
2001: Ricky Williams, Saints (7-9), 8th
2000: Fred Taylor, Jaguars (7-9), 6th
2000: Ricky Watters, Seahawks (6-10), 8th
2000: Charlie Garner, 49ers (6-10), 9th
1999: Charlie Garner, 49ers (4-12), 7th
1999: Duce Staley, Eagles (5-11), 10th

The 2009 season bucked the trend though as three of the top fantasy runners played for losing teams Maurice Jones-Drew, Ricky Williams and Steven Jackson. Throw in late-season heroics by Jammal Charles and Jerome Harrison and even more bad-team runners emerged as fantasy forces.

With the running back position in the NFL evolving and more teams using more players at the position, things are definitely changing on the fantasy landscape at running back. One constant factor with all five of the runners listed above is each of their teams didn't have a second option out of the backfield that was anything close to their skill level. It appears that more so than how good a team is isn't as important to how many chances a player gets to put up numbers. It will have an impact on my rankings as I work on my off-season cheat sheet (to be released next week).

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Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy football rankings, player rankings, cheat sheet, week 19

QB Game Ball – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay – 28/42 for 422 PaYd, 4 PaTD, 1 RuTD
Rodgers didn’t win the game, but he did turn out of the greatest passing performances in NFL history. He completed passes to nine different receivers and was seemingly unstoppable for most of the game.

QB Honorable Mention – Kurt Warner, Arizona – 29/33 for 379 PaYd, 5 PaTD (154.1 passer rating is the second highest in playoff history).

RB Game Ball – Ray Rice, Baltimore – 22 carries for 159 RuYd, 2 RuTD
Rice’s 83-yard touchdown scamper on the first play from scrimmage set the tone for the Ravens’ upset of the Patriots. Rice is emerging as a top three NFL running back entering 2010.

RB Honorable Mention – Cedric Benson, Cincinnati – 21 carries for 169 RuYd, 1 RuTD (set team single-game playoff rushing record in loss to the Jets)

WR Game Ball – Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia – 7 catches for 146 ReYd, 1 ReTD
Maclin’s 76-yard scoring catch from Michael Vick was one of the few positive offensive plays the Eagles made during Saturday’s loss to the Cowboys. The rookie finished strong and will be a factor next year.

WR Honorable Mention – Greg Jennings, Green Bay – 8 catches for 135 ReYd, 1 ReTD (the veteran made some amazing grabs in a game that featured more points scored than any game in NFL playoff history).

The Game-Used Sock Award – Tom Brady, New England – 23/42 for 154 PaYd, 2 PaTD, 3 INT, 1 fumble
Brady’s three first-quarter turnover doomed the Patriots as he fell for the first time ever as a starter in a home playoff game. The Patriots’ passing game never found a rhythm in the loss to Baltimore.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention – Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati – 2 catches for 28 ReYd, 0 TD (for the second straight week No. 85 disappeared on “Revis Island”).

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Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy football rankings, player rankings, cheat sheet, week 18

It's back - Playoff Fantasy Football!

Just because your fantasy football season is over, doesn't mean you have to stop playing. Choose a team of 11 fantasy players each week. The catch is once you use a player you can't use them again. Pick carefully! The deadline to sign-up is Saturday, January 8.

Each entrant can choose any player for each week`s lineup from the list of NFL playoff team rosters, provided the player can be used only once during the full 4 weeks of the playoffs. Lineups are set each week before the games begin. Once a player is used, he cannot be started again for the rest of the NFL playoffs. A new lineup is set before each round of NFL playoffs.

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