My Marques Colston Blog

*Reports out of Tennessee suggest strongly that Chris Brown has now moved ahead of LenDale White in the battle for the starting RB job. Head coach Jeff Fisher noted how White has hurt his chances by once again missing practice due to injuries which opened the door for Brown to step in. Brown was a decent fantasy option for the first 10 games or so back in 2004 but has been a non-entity since then due to his own battle with injuries. If he does in fact get the job, he is worth an add as a third back who you hope gets off to a good start and builds up trade value. If that does indeed occur, then deal Brown to the first guy who makes you an offer.

*The Atlanta Falcons have called the Oakland Raiders to gauge the availability of QB's Josh McCown and Andrew Walter. Apparently the Falcons aren't convinced that the so far solid play of Joey Harrington will carry over into the season. This deal makes sense for both parties in that the Raiders have four QB's(Ja Marcus Russell when he signs, and Daunte Culpepper also) and need to cut or trade one before the opener, while the Falcons have a glaring hole at the position due to someone in the news getting into some kind of trouble. If McCown lands in Atlanta and gets the chance the start, he could be a borderline bye week fill-in as he has demonstrated decent ability in spurts while with Arizona.

*Newly signed Chiefs RB Larry Johnson hinted he doesn't feel he will be ready for a full workload in Week 1 due to missing so much time in camp with his holdout. "What I know about myself is I've never been a fast starter coming out of the blocks in a season." If that's the case, backups Michael Bennett and rookie Kolby Smith could see some increased time spelling Johnson. This is a tricky play for Week 1 owners in that Johnson may see as few as 15 carries but 15 carries for him could be worth more than 25 from someone else. If you have a decent third back, start him. If not, than put Johnson in and appreciate what he can contribute.

*Word out New England is that Sammy Morris may become the kiss of death(A.K.A. goal-line back) for Laurence Maroney owners. Maroney is coming off major off-season shoulder surgery and coach Bill Belichick has made note how he worries about the pounding that shoulder could take inside the cramped quarters of the red zone. If this plan does go through, it would be devastating news to Maroney owners who were hoping for a bust out season. This would send Maroney from RB 1 status to RB 2 status in a heartbeat. Pay attention to this situation and get the bucket to puke in if this does come to fruition.

*Deverey Henderson once again is dealing with injuries and could wind up missing the season opener as a result. A bum hamstring is the culprit this time and so Terrence Copper could join Marques Colston in the starting lineup in Week 1. Henderson has tons of talent but injuries continue to hurt his development and ultimately kill his fantasy football prospects. Don't cut him right now by any means if your an owner but if this keeps up throughout the year, then it may be time to let him go.

*Jets RB Thomas Jones continues to miss practice and ride the stationary bike as he recovers from a strained calf. Head coach Eric Mangini continues to insist Jones will be ready for the opener against New England but the more time he misses, the more likely it is he sits out in Week 1. At this point count on Jones playing as he seems to be doing better but have other options ready in case he has to sit this one out.

*Late word out of Green Bay is that RB Vernand Morency is making rapid progress in his recovery from a strained patellar tendon in his knee and might in fact be ready to play in Week 1. It was originally thought that Morency was going to be out at least until Week 2 but now it appears he will be back at practice within a few days. This has a negative fantasy impact on Brandon Jackson owners who were hoping he would have the job all to himself in Week 1 so that he could prove he could handle the load and not the give the Pack front office a reason to take the job from him. It is no secret the coaches want Morency to start due to his experience and the fact Jackson has been horrible at picking up blitzes. At the very least, this looks like a dreaded time-share and ultimately a killing of both players' fantasy impact.

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