It's another session of "Sink or Swim" Fantasy FootballFanHouse's weekly look at the underachievers still lurking on many fantasy rosters. You've got the tough choices to make and we help you decide which direction to take. Do you cut the bait or give 'em one more chance to swim?
We are only two weeks into the season, so this is not the time to let your preconceived notions -- or preseason hype -- cloud your train of thought. This is the time to make clear and concise decisions about the future of your team. First and foremost, you never cut your stars. But if somebody that kinda-sorta-marginal-to-decent guy ain't performing up to par, don't think twice before cutting him.
When Jay Cutler was traded to Chicago, there was an instant line drawn in the proverbial sand. Everyone from professional sports writers to the most casual of fans had opinions. Those who wanted to argue it was a bad move for the Bears had several points. Some of them were valid, but one of them in particular always drove me bonkers.
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Give Josh McDaniels this much: He's willing to make an impression. Before he's even coached so much as one regular season game, he's assured that he will either be remembered as a bold, brilliant leader who won because he had the courage of his convictions, or as an abject failure whose hiring set the franchise back by years because he had the courage of his convictions. Some of that has to do with Jay Cutler's career trajectory, but McDaniels needs to win and he needs to win quickly.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet The ... Kyle Orton Dead Arm Syndrome: a condition characterized by a complete lack of strength in the upper arm. Despite hosting the NFL's second most productive offense in 2008, averaging just shy of 400 yards per game, and the third best passing offense in the league, the introduction of Orton as the starting quarterback puts the kibosh on the productivity. Orton has a weak arm, relies heavily on check-down passes and makes bad decisions. In terms of supporting cast, the receivers are a huge upgrade from his days in Chicago with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but Marshall wants out so be sure to keep a close eye on this situation. Also, new head coach and signal-caller Josh McDaniels runs a spread offense, so he'll need to rely on Orton probably more than anyone would ever want. I don't expect the offense to suffer immensely with a solid new batch of runners, but it definitely takes a dive from last season.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
In 2007, the Ravens finished a disappointing 5-11, stuck with an offense that created scoring opportunities about as effectively as a broken Brita filter cleans water. A draft later, the Ravens picked up lesser-known Joe Flacco, who fell into the job as starting quarterback and led Baltimore to the AFC Conference Championship, eventually losing to the NFL Champion Steelers. The Ravens filled holes at running back last year when they snagged Ray Rice in the second round.
Now, the Ravens know they can win even with a spotty offense, but it is something they need to focus on. Last year, only one wideout, Derrick Mason, caught over 700 yards, and he is 35.
Kyle Orton doesn't have Jay Cutler's franchise quarterback pedigree. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, two years after the Bears had invested a first-round pick in Rex Grossman. And, from the beginning, his role was clear: a raw, strong-armed talent, who would spend the first few seasons on the bench learning the nuances of what it means to be an NFL quarterback.
That lasted up till the moment Grossman broke his ankle in a 2005 preseason game. At the time, head coach Lovie Smithtold the AP that "I don't know exactly who there is out there but we like the guys we have right now ... Chad Hutchinson is a good player, we feel comfortable starting him, and Kyle Orton continues to shine as far as we're concerned."
In exchange, the Broncos received a 2009 first-round pick, a 2010 first-round pick, a 2009 third-round pick and a player to be named later Kyle Orton. As always, there are fantasy implications:
Despite not being a great real football team in 2008, we always knew one thing about the Denver Broncos: They really matter in fantasy football. You're talking about a team who amassed the second most yards in the league. Only two teams passed for more yards, and -- despite the neverending assembly line of running backs -- they managed to average 4.8 yards per carry on the ground.
Heading into 2009, the team will have a different look. For of all, for the first time since I began playing fantasy football, their head coach will not be notorious alleged fantasy-hater, Mike Shanahan.
It happens every offseason. A team hires a new head coach, and he ends up remaking the roster in the image of his former team often with many of the same players. For Josh McDaniels, the guy tapped to replace Mike Shanahan in Denver, it's no different; the former Patriots offensive coordinator wasted little time in recruiting a couple former New England players.
On the first day of free agency, the Broncos signed former Patriots wideout Jabar Gaffney a four-year, $10 million deal ($3 million guaranteed). His role in Denver should be similar to that in New England: a third or fourth wide receiver who creates matchup problems for opposing defenses. Brandon Marshall's still the go-to guy and Eddie Royal proved he's a worthy No. 2 receiver. Gaffney and Brandon Stokely will see the field in multiple-wide receiver sets.
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.
It's a brave new world in Denver, where the Broncos will take the field without Mike Shanahan on the sideline for the first time since 1995. Josh McDaniels, their new coach, was 19 back then, and has one of the shortest resumes of any head coach in NFL history. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it was clear that Shanahan's system was no longer bearing fruit and the team may benefit just from the change of voice on the sideline.
It's another session of "Sink or Swim" Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekly look at the underachievers still lurking on many fantasy rosters. You've got the tough choices to make and we help you decide which direction to take. Do you cut the bait or give 'em one more chance to swim?
When 
Training camps have wrapped up, the 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call 
Kyle Orton
Despite not being a great real football team in 2008, we always knew one thing about the Denver Broncos: They really matter in fantasy football. You're talking about a team who amassed the second most yards in the league. Only two teams passed for more yards, and -- despite the neverending assembly line of running backs -- they managed to average 4.8 yards per carry on the ground. 
It happens every offseason. A team hires a new head coach, and he ends up remaking the roster in the image of his former team often with many of the same players. For 
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 
