Sidney Rice.....

[stonewall 647]

Value.

 

This is the word that best describes what we are all striving for in the next 2 or 3 weeks as we try to outmaneuver our opponents on draft day. Tonight, I completed my 1st live draft with a group of seasoned ff's, and was shocked to acquire Sidney Rice as the 86th overall pick. Now this is exceptionally late, I know. But his ADP as of tonight is 6.09 in 12-teamers. This makes him the 27th WR off the board. It is easy to understand why his ADP has fallen. Afterall, Tavaris Jackson is no barn-burner, and Whitehurst is even worse....unspeakably bad IMO. However, let me bring something to mind:

 

Sidney and Tavaris are obviously no strangers. They have worked together for four years in Minnesota. People are forgetting what a potential benefit this is. When Rice finally returned from injury last season and exploded in week 14 to the tune of 5/105/2. Guess who was tossing the rock? You guessed it....Jackson. Again, let me be clear, Tavaris Jackson sucks, plain and simple. This is, by far the biggest knock on Rice......but it is his ONLY knock, and he has produced with him before. Besides, let's face it, Seattle should have a running game, and with Big Mike and Zach Miller commanding some attention, Rice knows how to do the rest. He runs great routes and, like Fitzy, will fight for the ball every time.....and usually win. I would be amiss if I failed to point out that the NFC West isn't exactly that scary either.

 

Now I love Fitzy. I consider him the best of the best. He isn't a diva, but quietly puts on his helmet every Sunday and hands dudes their jockstraps......whoever is throwing him the ball. Well, I view Sidney the same way........just 60 picks later. WR3 pick with WR1 upside.

 

Value.

[Zackattack 0]

The guy has had trouble staying healthy first of all. He has not really been all that productive from what I have read and remember except for one season with Favre. I will say he is a good redzone target. I believe he will dissapoint some people with high expectations. I am not drinking the koolaid.

[NorthernVike 2,080]

The guy has had trouble staying healthy first of all. He has not really been all that productive from what I have read and remember except for one season with Favre. I will say he is a good redzone target. I believe he will dissapoint some people with high expectations. I am not drinking the koolaid.

 

 

And this is coming from a Vikes fan.

[sirensong 111]

He isn't a diva, but quietly puts on his helmet every Sunday and hands dudes their jockstraps......whoever is throwing him the ball.

 

 

 

so he hands jockstraps to guys who throw him the ball?

 

does that help or hurt his targets?

 

 

 

 

http://www.fftodayforums.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

The problem isn't Rice...

 

It Tarvaris Jackson, the broke as hell, begging for change under a bridge man's Donovan McNabb that is supposed to throw him the ball.

[vamosvaqueros 0]

Sidney and Tavaris are obviously no strangers. They have worked together for four years in Minnesota. People are forgetting what a potential benefit this is.

 

I agree that some players are undervaluing this. I did a bunch of mocks this morning and had him fall to me in 2 of them in the 8th round. Ahead of that, I'm not sure he's worth it. If you have to count on him as your WR2, you better have a top flight WR3 just to hedge your bet

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Sidney and Tavaris are obviously no strangers.

 

Neither are Tavaris and the other teams DB's.

[Mack 1 6]

Both Deion Branch and TJ Houshmandzadeh migrated to Seattle and proceeded to stink up the joint, and they had superior talent around them. Sidney Rice will be way overvalued going into fantasy drafts this season.

 

Let somebody else draft him.

[Kent 228]

Rice's stats when Tavaris was playing in Minnesota are abysmal.

 

And they got to play in a dome.

 

Rice has zero value with Tavaris as his QB. MAybe if Favre comes out of retirement and goes to Seattle it would work out.

[Boilermaker04 11]

Always enjoy your thoughts Stonewall.

 

I'm not as high on Rice as you are which means I won't get him at his ADP, but I'm curious to know what kind of projection you are seeing for him?

 

I just can't picture him cracking 1000 yards & 8 tds, which is what I want from all that tier of guys like Harvin, Britt, Boldin.

[stonewall 647]

Always enjoy your thoughts Stonewall.

 

I'm not as high on Rice as you are which means I won't get him at his ADP, but I'm curious to know what kind of projection you are seeing for him?

 

I just can't picture him cracking 1000 yards & 8 tds, which is what I want from all that tier of guys like Harvin, Britt, Boldin.

 

First of all, thank you for a civil post of disagreement. Secondly, I also like guys like Harvin (who I also drafted last night), Britt (despite of Hass), and slightly lesser degree Boldin (He could possibly blow up again but he is 30, although so is Brandon Lloyd, and he really is their only bigtime WR threat in Balt which means difficult coverage). All are good value.

 

All I am saying is that Rice, only 24 , and a rare-talent in my opinion, is way undervalued and a great value, even with a QB that is sorry because he has the advantage of familiarity with him and enough help around him to keep D's from stacking him. Yes, I believe 1000/8 is very doable......that averages out to about 60 ypg and a TD every other week......and he is capable of more. 27th WR off the board....I'll take it.

[Kent 228]

First of all, thank you for a civil post of disagreement. Secondly, I also like guys like Harvin (who I also drafted last night), Britt (despite of Hass), and slightly lesser degree Boldin (He could possibly blow up again but he is 30, although so is Brandon Lloyd, and he really is their only bigtime WR threat in Balt which means difficult coverage). All are good value.

 

All I am saying is that Rice, only 24 , and a rare-talent in my opinion, is way undervalued and a great value, even with a QB that is sorry because he has the advantage of familiarity with him and enough help around him to keep D's from stacking him. Yes, I believe 100/8 is very doable......that averages out to about 60 ypg and a TD every other week......and he is capable of more. 27th WR off the board....I'll take it.

 

"The reality is that, during their mutual time in Minnesota, Jackson and Rice never really clicked, even with running back Adrian Peterson pulling a safety to the line of scrimmage on just about every play.

 

During their four seasons together, Jackson and Rice both started the same game seven times. Rice’s highest production came in 2007 against the Giants, with three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. In the other games, Rice had two catches for 10 yards against the Falcons in 2007, four for 66 and a touchdown against the Chargers in 2007, two catches for 18 against the Raiders in 2007, two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown against the Packers in 2008, no catches against the Colts in 2008, and five catches for 60 yards against the Giants in 2010." - NBC Sports.com

 

And you think 100 is very doable...in a new offense, on a new team, in a poor weather environment, with a "sorry" QB.

 

I'm not sure why you're deluded. Rice could be GOD, and its not going to help. Not even GOD can catch 100 balls from Tavaris Jackson.

[IGotWorms 3,315]

Way too many strikes against Sidney Rice:

 

1. He's a one-year wonder

 

2. His QB sucks

 

3. He is playing in a fantasy WR wasteland

 

If the Seahawks ever get a decent QB I might change my mind, but for now I'm not taking Rice as anything but a WR4.

[Runningriot1966 6]

I took him in the 10th round in my big money league. No one wanted him at all, I think he would have went undrafted (12 rounds only). Matter of fact people sorta laughed at me taking him that late.

[stonewall 647]

"The reality is that, during their mutual time in Minnesota, Jackson and Rice never really clicked.

During their four seasons together, Jackson and Rice both started the same game seven times. Rice’s highest production came in 2007 against the Giants, with three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. In the other games, Rice had two catches for 10 yards against the Falcons in 2007, four for 66 and a touchdown against the Chargers in 2007, two catches for 18 against the Raiders in 2007, two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown against the Packers in 2008, no catches against the Colts in 2008, and five catches for 60 yards against the Giants in 2010." - NBC Sports.com

 

Although I am in NO way defending the abilities of Tavaris Jackson, this is entirely misleading. They have indeed "started" 7 games together, but actually played in 8. I mentioned in my OP that Jackson/Rice went for 105/2 in week 14 last year against Buffalo. In that game, Favre started and threw one pass (an int.) and was "injured", not to return. Jackson played every snap the rest of that game. Also, 3 of those games mentioned were in Rices rookie year, in which he didn't even start some weeks. In the 2 games last season that Rice and Jackson played together, he went 5/105/2 and 5/60 (5/83/1 average)....and this was just coming back from injury, and on a team that was falling apart. Nevertheless, if you include all off those 8 games together (including his rookie year, which was only Jacksons 2nd year in the league also), you still get 50 yards and a TD every other week average (barring injury)......that's 85/850/8, and not far from what I previously stated.

 

And you think 100 is very doable...in a new offense, on a new team, in a poor weather environment, with a "sorry" QB.

 

I did type "100/8", but meant "1000/8", and it has been corrected.

 

 

I'm not sure why you're deluded. Rice could be GOD, and its not going to help. Not even GOD can catch 100 balls from Tavaris Jackson.

 

Deluded is a name I am accustomed to being called on here, or worse, each preseason when I make observations and/or offer suggestions, so thank you. It tells me that I must be barking up the right tree.

 

BTW........I think God could catch 1,000,000 passes from Tavaris Jackson (or Ryan Leaf, for that matter).

[yanivsme 0]

First of all, thank you for a civil post of disagreement. Secondly, I also like guys like Harvin (who I also drafted last night), Britt (despite of Hass), and slightly lesser degree Boldin (He could possibly blow up again but he is 30, although so is Brandon Lloyd, and he really is their only bigtime WR threat in Balt which means difficult coverage). All are good value.

 

Where did you draft Percy Harvin?

[stonewall 647]

Where did you draft Percy Harvin?

 

 

73th pick (a round before Rice).

[prancers 0]

There are 2 schools of thought on Rice:

 

1. He only had 1 good year when Favre was on top of his game. Aside from that he didn't do much and now he's back to having a crappy QB.

 

2. He came into the league and turned 21 a week before his first game. Not surprisingly, it took him a little while. He got better in his 2nd year (had just turned 22). Had the monster year after turning 23 with Favre. The common 3rd year breakout, especially for a guy who came into the league unusually young. He got hurt before his 4th season and didn't do much in the few games he played, except for the 1 big game. He's currently a 24 year old (almost 25) and had many teams after him offering huge money, recognizing that the 3rd year explosion (his last healthy season) wasn't a fluke.

 

 

Personally, I fall more into the 2nd school of thought. I don't care if he was relatively unproductive as a 21 year old rookie. I think the 3rd year explosion at a young 23 showed some huge talent and he made Favre's #s that year as much as the other way around. I agree with the NFL GMs who wanted to pay him 9 million a year that he's a huge talent.

 

I wouldn't draft him before the late 6th because his QB situation is pretty bad, but I do really like the guy. He has some huge potential, even with T Jack, and I'd love to have him as my WR4 or even WR3 if I go heavy on QB/RB/TE early.