While at this stage of his career I’m not sure that he’s better, faster, or stronger, but former New England Patriots WR Wes Welker signed a 2-year $12 million contract today and is rising among fantasy football owners already anticipating the Manning-to-Welker combination.

Welkers’ deal is probably one of the most visible along with that of former New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, who also signed this afternoon…the second day of the free agency period for the 2013 NFL season.

The Lions got Reggie for a relative bargain at 4 years and $16 million. The Lions reportedly are tempting him with being the team’s “featured” back in a previously precarious position. That part isn’t such big news, however, as RB Jahvid Best had to retire due to symptoms from multiple concussions and hasn’t played a meaningful down in nearly two years. Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell will back him up while Bush’s explosiveness makes the Detroit offense that much more scary with Megatron on the outside.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall signed with the Arizona Cardinals today as well. Mendenhall is probably one of the best signings of any team I think. He’s coming off injury but has low mileage overall, runs with power between the tackles and does have a little bit of speed to go with it as a hard-nosed running back – something that Beanie Wells was drafted for several years ago but never did become.

Mendenhall signed a one-year $2.5 million contract as I see the value of the position declining in general in recent years. Gone are the days of the high-dollar running back now that the passing game is the de facto play on any given down and the rules have become more and more friendly to receivers. He’ll be playing under HC Bruce Arians, who was the Steelers’ OC earlier in Mendenhall’s career there, so the two know each other well.

The scary thing? The day isn’t over yet and more people are being signed as time passes…stay tuned!

As a sportswriter, I’m certainly wrong enough, but boy do I love it when I’m right. Here’s text I pulled from an article I posted here back on May 10th, titled “Kuechly, Tannehill: The Search For ‘George:’”

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April 28, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins first round draft pick quarterback Ryan Tannehill holds up a jersey next to his wife Lauren Ufer during a press conference at the Dolphins training facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Any excuse to put up a photo of Lauren Tannehill is a good one.

I thought it interesting so many draft “experts” claim that Tannehill was “at least a year away” from starting.

I happen to think he’ll be starting from Day One. Can some people not think beyond what’s in front of them? Sherman was ALWAYS Tannehill’s old college coach, no?

As I have said before, he comes into Miami in as unique a situation of any QB drafted in the NFL. By now, it’s common knowledge Miami OC Mike Sherman was his college coach.

What people didn’t seem to grasp until recently is what that means. It means Tannehill already has had 2 years of learning under Sherman and in fact it will be Tannehill helping teach the VETERANS some of the finer points of this offense. More than 2 years if you count the time he was a WR, in fact.

Tannehill’s work will come more in film study, learning the NFL’s complex defenses, and how to defeat them. And praying for WRs to fall to Miami from heaven or wherever because they need them badly. Late-round rookies aren’t gonna cut it.

editor’s note: 8/17 – The Dolphins had since signed Chad Johnson, then cut him this week due to all-too-well-known sad events recently

He has recently stated “80% to 85% of the offense is the same” as what he ran in college. He knows the verbiage going in, and knows what Mike Sherman expects from his players.

He also has both the other Miami QBs beaten badly in his physical tools that cannot be coached. This is what provides him with his real edge – specifically, his mobility and ability to throw on the run. With an OL that was upgraded in the offseason and draft, it should be the strength of the Miami offense – WR sure as heck isn’t.

Add to that recipe the fact that Reggie Bush is a great checkdown receiver and Lamar Miller is coming in from Miami (college) and he’s a capable receiver, and the Dolphins appear on the road to forming an identity. I just think Tannehill will be the one directing it from the start. No offense to Matt Moore, who played well last season, but when you draft a guy this high it’s hard to keep him benched IF he knows and can run the offense.

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It would appear the words I wrote over three months ago are revealing themselves to be more and more true. While Tannehill hasn’t officially locked up the starting gig in week one, at this point I’d actually be surprised if he doesn’t. As I had said, Tannehill’s physical talents cannot be matched by either of the other QBs on the roster and he has outplayed Moore both in practice and in his first preseason game.

Unless he struggles mightily against a Panther defense that struggled against the Texans’ first-team offense (other than the goal-line stand), the job should be his to lose after tonight. Then there’s theory and there’s fact.

We’ll know what the facts are after tonight’s contest. Tannehill should play the entire first half with Moore playing in the second half. With a good showing next week against the Atlanta Falcons, who have a more evolved, veteran defense, he should solidify his claim.

Then again, we’re not sure quite yet and will know more in about 9 days.

That’s why they play the game.

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.