Chicago Bears 33, Washington Redskins 31 – RGIII looked more like a rookie in this one but he didn’t look horrible. He’s just having a few growing pains. QB Kirk Cousins threw 3 TD passes with the second team. Bears WR Alshon Jeffery looks like the player “they THOUGHT they were” (getting, that is – hat tip to Denny Green). The biggest concern was when Redskins OLB and Pro-Bowler Brian Orakpo injured his right pectoral muscle on a tackle – the same one he injured last year. Hopefully it’s just a strain, but a tear would keep him out possibly the entire season. It’s too early to know yet but listen for news as it develops. Redskins starting safety Brandon Meriweather hurt his knee, was helped off the field, and didn’t return in the game. I wonder if the GEICO caveman is gloating?

Houston Texans 20, San Francisco 49′ers 9 – Matt Schaub looked sharp once again and Andre Johnson looked horse-healthy on a 43 yard completion as the Texans’ first teams looked impressive once again. 9′ers RB Brandon Jacobs left the game after a tackler speared his right thigh/knee area on a tackle. It looked quite painful to be sure, but probably will wind up being a deep bruise. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are still the top two backs and that shouldn’t change. Jim Harbaugh seems to be interweaving his new receiving bodies into his run-based offense nicely and they’ll be a force in the NFC. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me all that much if this game is a Super Bowl Preview.

St. Louis Rams 31, Kansas City Chiefs 17 – Rams’ QB Sam Bradford looked sharp, throwing 2 TD passes on 6 of 9 passing and appears to be healthy again after an ankle injury hampered his sophomore season. Rookie WR Brian Quick had 3 catches and he was considered a talent who needs a little seasoning but seems to be developing nicely so far. Danny Amendola had 3 catches for 58 yards and a TD. Matt Cassel of the Chiefs had a nice outing as well while RBs Peyton Hillis and Jamaal Charles, both injured much of last season, got a little work and looked nice on a few runs. If that duo can get going, they could possibly be the best “Thunder (Hillis) and Lightning (Charles)” combo in the NFL if they live up to their talent…and if Hillis doesn’t get Strep Throat again. Rookie NT Dontari Poe’s struggles continue as he recorded a single tackle on the contest.

Seattle Seahawks 30, Denver Broncos 10 – 38 year-old WR Terrell Owens dropped a sure 48 yard TD pass from QB Matt Flynn, but the Seahawks won anyway. Peyton Manning had a good day other than a couple of interceptions – one on a tipped pass and the other on a throw that drifted on him a bit when he had to make a perfect pass. Don’t worry about Manning; he’s Manning and will be fine. Fantasy owners should take notice that Brandon Stokley and Manning seem to be getting familiar with each other again. Keep tabs on the pair; Stokley might be worth a late-round pick as a bit of a sleeper that some owners will pass over due to his age and injury history, but might see some production in this offense.

San Diego Chargers 28, Dallas Cowboys 20 – Dallas loses their second preseason game but their starting defense is really looking good. All of the Chargers’ points came in the second half. Lots going on in this game. First, Chargers’ apparent #1 receiver Vincent Brown broke his ankle and will miss at least 8 weeks. The Chargers WR group as a whole isn’t the most durable even while they have depth. QB Philip Rivers continued throwing picks like last year. It’s not all his fault, however, as his line is giving up ground so he can’t step into some of his throws. That Cowboy first-team looks pretty good on both sides but especially on defense as they have yet to allow a score in two games. Undrafted rookie free agent Cole Beasley from SMU had 7 catches and 104 yards as he stated his case for the #3 WR behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Bryant made a would-be spectacular one-handed catch in the back of the endzone, leaping high to snag it out of the air. He came down JUST out of bounds and there was a holding penalty anyway, but the spectacle clearly demonstrated his talent and ability. They don’t make many like him.

My initial reaction?

Only idiots have their fantasy league drafts before the PRE-season begins.

No personal insults intended for those of you that have, but think about it: A) You’re drafting without vital information about which newcomers are looking up (ie: a T.Y. Hilton or Doug Martin) and which ones aren’t looking too good so far (ie: a Dontari Poe, Morris Claiborne) and B) You cannot account for injuries that invariably occur during the preseason (ie: Pat Angerer, Trent Richardson).

Also, as I write this, the breaking news of the day is that Giants DT Shaun Rogers is out for the season with a blood clot in his leg. While Rogers is hardly a fantasy stud even in fantasy leagues that have a DT position, this is just the latest setback in the Giants’ interior DL and will affect their ability to stop the run. Things like this have ripple effects.

May 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Shaun Rogers (95) takes a break during the Giants OTA at the their training facility. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

So, remember the Golden Rule for Fantasy Commissioners: Don’t draft your league too early! Nobody wants a league where one or more owners gives up due to multiple injuries to their “top players” before the season even begins.

In this article, let’s take a look at some rookies that could provide some good upside with a mid-to-late round draft choice:

Brian Quick before Stephen Hill

Brian Quick, WR, St. Louis Rams – there are mixed ideas about this kid. He comes from small Appalachian State in Boone, NC, so conventional wisdom is that he should take some time to get up to speed with an NFL playbook. At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, he ran a 4.55 at the NFL Combine. These stats basically mirror those of Bears’ WR Brandon Marshall, who came from UCF (Central Florida).

Remember back in 2007 when App. St. won in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines? Quick wasn’t a part of that game, but players like Chad Henne and Mario Manningham were on Michigan’s side. Armanti Edwards was the game’s leading passer, and he’s now a starting safety for the Carolina Panthers. It demonstrates the strength of their program.

By contrast, Stephen Hill is probably the most physically gifted athlete in the entire WR class for 2012. The kid averaged – averaged – over 28 yards per catch in college at the much larger school, Georgia Tech. However, he’s even more raw than Quick is and has to learn the route tree besides posts and go patterns. Even though the Jets are thin at the position, Hill has a ton of work in front of him before he becomes a consistent threat in the passing game. He’s worth a late-round pick as a 4th WR perhaps but don’t look for much production from him early.

You also have to take into account the team’s offense and who exactly the quarterback is. Would you rather have your “sleeper” WR pick catching passes from Mark Sanchez or Sam Bradford?

Bradford had a bad year last year but he was hampered by injuries. Mark Sanchez has yet to prove he’s a franchise quarterback. Bradford showed he can be that guy in 2010 when he was a healthy rookie.

Aug 9, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) catches a pass against Denver Broncos cornerback Tony Carter (32) at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Alshon Jeffery before Rueben Randle

Randle is the better-known player as Jeffery had a dismal final season for the Gamecocks, so Randle will probably be headed off the board first. This is a case of perhaps TOO much talent – on the New York Giants’ WR roster. Randle will compete against Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz for targets. Alshon Jeffery likely will start the entire season opposite Brandon Marshall, making Jeffery the team’s no.2 option. While Randle may also start for his Giants, there’s more talent there to compete with. Both teams have strong quarterback play, with a sizable edge going to Eli, but again…Randle is one among many while Jeffery is one among two. The math favors Jeffery, but Randle should produce also. I just think Jeffery might be the better value of the two in terms of fantasy draft position vs. upside this year.

Some random notes:

RB David Wilson of the Giants could wind up being a fantasy points machine. He was drafted to be the “hammer” to Ahmad Bradshaw’s shifty style of running. Bradshaw has a history of getting dinged up with some injuries, and Wilson looks to be the more natural goal-line back of the two. Wilson not only has the potential to be a TD vulture, but will probably see at least a few games where Bradshaw’s either out or hurting, allowing Wilson to get more touches.

RB Lamar Miller of the Dolphins should be considered in PPR leagues. The Philbin regime has begun and he runs a West Coast style offense. With the lack of receiving experience on the team, I see a lot of different guys catching balls this fall. I’d be surprised if any single guy gets more than 60 catches and backs and TEs should see a higher percentage of total targets as a result. Reggie Bush may line up in the slot or run patterns out of the backfield and Miller should see his share as well with his speed. While I probably wouldn’t draft him in regular leagues, he might be worth a later pick in PPR leagues.

Don’t “reach” for Justin Blackmon – There are two good reasons NOT to draft Justin Blackmon high: Laurent Robinson and Blaine Gabbert. Having said that, if he does fall into the 6th round or beyond, which is highly doubtful, THEN you might take a flier on him. Just remember for WRs that half of it is about who is throwing the ball. With Blaine Gabbert looking marginally better so far than he did last year, he has a long way to go as well in his second year. When you add in Laurent Robinson on the other side, Blackmon’s opportunities look to be limited by circumstance – and especially if Pocket Hercules continues his holdout into the regular season.

The 2012 NFL season looks especially rich with untested skill-position rookies looking to make an immediate impact.

April 28, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Lauren Ufer the wife of Miami Dolphins first round draft pick quarterback Ryan Tannehill (Texas A

Uh-huh…made ya look, didn’t I? That’s Ryan Tannehill’s wife – I didn’t know he was married. That’s one thing I learned. I already knew pretty blondes make guys look. I’m a guy, and I look.

Lucky sod. And I’m not even TALKING about being drafted in the NFL. You know. WOW.

Back to the business at hand.

Now that the 77th Annual National Football League Selection Meeting, popularly known as the NFL Draft, is finished, what HAVE we learned?

With the rookie wage scale, drafting has once again become more about the player a team wants/needs than under the old rules, and NFL franchises aren’t shying away from trading up to nab their man.

Indeed, the top pick wasn’t traded. Andrew Luck was at stake and couldn’t have been pried from Indy even under the old rules.

The next organic (read: non-traded) pick was Miami at #8. The six in-between were ALL traded.

Cleveland unnecessarily traded up from 4 to 3 to ensure they got Trent Richardson…and you can read all about all the trades of the draft when you have a day or two to kill. Suffice it to say that franchises feel completely free to pursue the object of their affections because they know the new CBA saves them from themselves and paying what would now be $60+ million in a rookie contract to an Andrew Luck. Luck is one of the top college pro-ready QBs to come out since Peyton Manning, but he’s still never played an NFL down.

As a result, Mock Drafts have become almost obsolete, because while you can mock the top talent all day long, it’s another matter to correctly identify which team will be the one trading up to get a particular player.

Some, you might be able to guess at just by looking at the pile of picks (Cleveland) teams have OR the lack of a pile (New Orleans) an organization wields.

Indeed, the pre-draft talk regarding the Dallas Cowboys was how much they wanted Mark Barron. They traded up to get…Morris Claiborne.

I don’t think anyone saw that one coming until, very literally, the last minute.

Other than Ryan Tannehill going to the Moe Howard-owned Miami Dolphins, the top twelve or so picks pretty much followed the player talent level. The only reach in the top 14 was Buffalo selecting Stephon Gilmore. I think Gilmore is overrated, but time will tell. He’s not a BAD player, I just don’t think he’s a top-ten talent guy.

A considerably small top-talent pool at the CB spot explains that pick.

Tannehill wasn’t a reach when you consider the existing premium on young arms, particularly in light of the rookie wage scale. Gabbert, Locker, and Ponder all went around the same spot in last season’s draft as Tannehill did this year.

Every draft sees certain players rise and fall for various reasons, and this one was no exception.

For example, Chase Minnefield was thought to be a 2nd or 3rd round talent, but had surgery for a microfracture earlier this season and his health status is too uncertain for any of the 32 NFL teams to even take a 7th-round flyer on. Most of the concern stems from the type of injury he has rather than anything about the kid on a personal level, but it goes to show that not all injured players can be an Antonio Cromartie.

When a player eligible for the draft is injured, it needs looking into. A broken finger, even for a WR or QB, would probably cost a player nothing as far as draft position. An injury like Minnefield’s can keep you from being drafted at all. Let’s all hope he recovers completely and finds a team.

It is, however, the first time I saw a guy projected to be a middle/late first round pick 2 months ago become an undrafted free agent.

That guy would be Vontaze Burfict…and he’s healthy as a horse who’s never had a run-in with the law or substance abuse in his life.

Minnefield went undrafted for medical reasons; Burfict for his intangibles…namely his penchant for drawing personal fouls, being a dirty player, slowing down since his junior year, going from 90 to 69 tackles…or pick one or all of the above.

The point here is that players fall for a myriad of reasons. We knew that, but completely out of the draft? Not even one team with a 7th-round compensatory pick would try either player?

Alfonzo Dennard was drafted a week after punching a cop in the face. Hmmm.

Try and keep that in mind when you scratch your head over your own favorite team’s 7th-round pick. That guy will probably be healthy to play special teams or a situational 4 or 5 downs on opening day, unlike Minnefield. Dennard should. Why not Burfict?

Because most of them aren’t projected to be poison on the field and in the locker room, that’s why. Dennard was lucky.

Going to a small school doesn’t really hurt you as we learned from Brian Quick from App. State and Amini Sitatolu from Midwestern State. If you’ve got “it,” the NFL people will find you. Sometimes they find “it” where “it ain’t” but that happens at the big schools too. We armchair GMs don’t have the resources the NFL franchises do, but the internet helps. It still can’t do everything.

Experience matters – even when NOT seeing the field all the time can be a good thing.

How’s that, you ask?

The knock on 4-year starters if you’re a running back out of college is how much “tread you have left.” Ricky Williams came into the NFL with over a thousand rushing attempts at Texas and questions about that followed him into the NFL. Good thing for Ricky that Mike Ditka was (and still is) nuts – it only takes ONE team to fall in love with you, remember?

This year, we saw a very talented young RB with “only” one year of “wear” on him fall from late-first/early-second pre-draft to early 4th round in David Miller. Part of his slide could be attributed to a nagging shoulder injury that he played through last season and had surgery on in December, but it’s not a particularly troubling injury but an injury nonetheless. He’s only got 335 carries under his belt.

So, it would appear that “wear” for running backs is less problematic than “durability” issues, so don’t be fooled by next year’s pre-draft propaganda that always accelerates 48 hours before the start of the thing. Doesn’t “playing through pain” count for anything?

Since this was my first draft as a semi-professional writer, I had looked a good bit deeper into the players and their abilities, backgrounds, and unique challenges they’ve faced. The more I dug, the more I found out I didn’t know.

I learned that each NFL franchise personality has to be considered, and that is one of the hardest things to know. Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers always seem to have that blue-collar approach to the game, making their draft rather predictable by position if not by each individual targeted. But what about teams like the Buccaneers that completely changed their approach from one season to the next?

That’s the most unpredictable thing of all and the reason for it is the people behind the scenes change.

Keep in mind that “team needs” are both objective and subjective. While one area may not look to be a glaring weakness, that same area may be one that the people behind the scenes want to make into a strength and go after two players while outside observers may think they have more needs in other spots and not draft anyone there.

Look at the very Wide Receiver-needy teams like Cleveland and Miami. Both teams need two starters. Badly. Each team drafted only one; Cleveland in the 4th round and Miami in the 6th. Well, Miami added one in the 7th…point being, none of them were high picks.

This bears more looking into, but I’d be willing to bet each team signs at least a couple of UFAs at the position to see what they can do in camp and get a good look at, if nothing else.

That IS how Victor Cruz got into the league two years ago, after all, but boy is he the exception.

Any team’s given thought process or approach to the game of football is just something that’s too difficult to foresee without already having intimate knowledge of the organization in question and none of us have that kind of access. We just do the best with what we’ve got. So do the other 31 teams in trying to figure out what any OTHER organization is up to.

THAT is why Cleveland traded up from 4th to 3rd for Trent Richardson!