2010-09-06 11:28:05
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
RealTime Fantasy Sports
 Matt Leinart done in ArizonaWell, that was quite the weekend. As most of you know, NFL teams had to get down to 53 players on their roster before the end of the weekend. This means tons of players getting released or even traded as teams trim their rosters. There is a lot to sort out, but we are here to fill you in the key moves and how they impact your fantasy roster. Just think, next week at this time we'll be reflecting back on the week that just happened. Great stuff! The Cardinals cut ties with quarterback Matt Leinart. He finally had a chance to grab a starting role and failed to seize the opportunity. There is a good chance this was Leinart's last shot at being a starter. He didn't take too long to catch on with another team, though, agreeing to a deal with the Texans. He should be Matt Schaub's top backup once he becomes familiar with the offense, moving ahead of Dan Orlovsky, who struggled during camp and preseason action. In Arizona, undrafted rookie free agent Max Hall will serve as the No. 2 behind Derek Anderson. The Cardinals were very impressed with Hall during camp and preseason action. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt said Hall was the best quarterback of the bunch. Anderson doesn't have a firm grasp on the starter's job so if he has any struggles, don't be surprised if Hall becomes the starter in Arizona.
Receiver T.J. Houshamandzadeh was released by the Seahawks over the weekend. The Seahawks are going with a youth movement at receiver, getting rid of the aging Houshamandzadeh. He still has something left in the tank, but is more of a possession receiver than anything. He should find work, likely landing with the Raiders or Redskins, who have shown the most interesting in him. Mike Williams gets a chance to start in the Seahawks offense with Houshmandzadeh gone. Williams is having quite the rejuvenation - from out of football to a starting role. Deion Branch mans the other starting spot with Deon Butler and Golden Tate vying for the No. 3 job. Any way you look at it, the Seahawks offense looks like one that could struggle this season. The Seahawks released another veteran, cutting ties with running back Julius Jones. Jones kept falling down the depth chart and was making too much money to be kept for his role with the team. There are some teams looking for running back help, so Jones should find work in a backup role (i.e. Rams). Justin Forsett should start for the Seahawks at running back with Leon Washington being in the mix for carries. Both guys should get a lot of work, but neither are great fantasy options in an offense that has a lot of question marks. Forsett has higher value in PPR leagues. One last note in Seattle is offensive line coach Alex Gibbs suddenly quit. Gibbs is considered a top offensive mind, especially when it comes to the run game. He has worked wonders with several rushing attacks, so he'll be missed in Seattle. Gibbs claims he was just burnt out, but who knows if there was more to the story. This doesn't help the value of the Seahawks top two backs - Forsett and Washington. The Dolphins let go of two high drafts picks from last season. Quarterback Pat White and receiver Patrick Turner are done in Miami. White just never clicked as a quarterback in the NFL. And Turner has some talent, but can't seem to put it together. He has been claimed by the Jets, so he'll compete for a roster spot with New York. We don't expect Turner to get much if any playing time with the Jets this season. Receiver Vincent Jackson continues to look for a team. And things aren't going to get any easier for him to find a suitor because he is going to miss the first six games of this season after getting placed on the roster exempt list. The Chargers and Jackson don't have much leverage to make a great deal at this point. Jackson's asking price for a new contract remains high, according to several different outlets. Until his price comes down, don't expect a deal to happen. The Seahawks and Rams were two teams reportedly expressing interesting in Jackson this past weekend, but a deal couldn't be struck. The Chargers traded for Patrick Crayton in hopes of filling the void left by Jackson. Crayton should be the No. 3 in San Diego, giving the Chargers a reliable target in the passing game. He has sure hands and runs solid routes. Crayton might be worth a late-round flier in PPR leagues. The addition of Crayton made Josh Reed expendable. Reed was released by the Chargers. He might be able to find work, but isn't likely to play a big role this season. Running back Willie Parker could be about done in the NFL after getting released by Redskins. Parker showed little burst in the preseason, failing to live up to the "Fast" Willie nickname. Parker will have a hard time catching on with another team at this stage of his career. Clinton Portis starts in Washington with Larry Johnson serving as the top backup. The Giants upgraded their backup quarterback spot, trading for Sage Rosenfels. He had a great preseason and has starting experience, making him a good guy for the Giants to target as Eli Manning's backup. Rosenfels can do well in spot duty, so he'll be worth a look for fantasy teams if he ever gets pressed into action. Some are speculating it was all set up, but the Jets have to be happy either way as shutdown corner Darrelle Revis agreed on a new deal and should be ready for the season opener. There are some wondering if this was all done to get tons of ratings for the last episode of Hard Knocks that airs this week. We doubt the Jets and Revis would orchestrate something like this, but you never know. Stranger things have happened. If you have any questions or comments, please email Jeff Paur at jeff@rtsports.com | 
