We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere. To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2009 fantasy football questions regarding their team. We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2009 Cowboys Fantasy Football Preview comes courtesy of Blogging the Boys.
1. Barber, Jones and Choice are all very good backs. How do you feel the running back situation will shake out? Will Barber break out as an elite back or will Choice and Jones eat too much into his stats.
This is the question everybody is asking: How will Jason Garrett use his trio of quality running backs? I just got back from training camp and they were using Marion Barber with the 1st unit, but they were subbing in Felix Jones liberally and even showed sets with both players on the field. I think Barber and Jones are going to share a lot of the carries and the TD’s. If Garrett does the smart thing, he’ll make it a two-back system and share the workload between those two. Unfortunately, Tashard Choice, a talented back, is probably going to get squeezed out of the equation for the most part, unless there’s an injury. I think Barber and Jones will be quality backs for fantasy purposes, but neither will end up in that elite category because they’ll cannibalize each others stats.
2. Roy Williams didn’t make much of an impact after he was brought over from the Lions. With TO leaving and a full off season to better acquaint himself with the offense and Romo, how much of a leap do you think he’ll take forward?
I wouldn’t expect Roy Williams to have elite, big-time receiver stats this year. There are too many other options on the Cowboys for him to rack up huge production. Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett and the running backs will get a lot of touches in the redzone. What the Cowboys need from Roy is a reliable target that can keep safeties honest, leaving the middle open for the tight ends, and occasionally hit the big play. If he hit 800-900 yards and around 8-10 TD’s, and the Cowboys are winning, that will be just what they want. The Cowboys are determined to spread the ball around this year.
3. The top three receivers after Williams look fairly set with Crayton, Hurd and Austin. Do you see one breaking out of the pack this season?
Miles Austin is the only one who I think could have a significant jump in his stats this year. He’s got the physical tools, but injury and inconsistency have hurt him. If he stays healthy, he could be a guy that no one really saw coming. Crayton is the #2 receiver to Roy Williams so far in camp, and you will get solid production from him, but it probably won’t be anymore than in previous years. Sam Hurd is having a great camp, but there won’t be enough footballs around for him to jump up significantly.
4. There are plenty of offensive weapons for Tony Romo to choose from this season. Do you see an offense so spread out that no single player (besides Romo) could put up elite fantasy numbers? Or will they start to run the ball more with their three RB’s?
I think they will try to spread the ball around this year. That was part of the reason they let T.O. go. They want to run the ball more this year, but not to the extent it will significantly alter Romo’s stats. This offense can score and Romo is going to get his numbers, he’s still a top fantasy QB. The other guy you can probably count on is Jason Witten, he’s so hard to cover and is Romo’s favorite target. Outside of that, I think you’ll see the production, TD’s etc. spread around to a lot of different guys.
5. Romo’s relationships with TO and Jessica Simpson are over. There has been plenty of tabloid press regarding that particular threesome, but do you believe their departure will help Romo take over the Cowboys as “his” team and help him concentrate on winning or is that overblown?
Overblown on Jessica, maybe some truth with T.O. If you look at Romo’s numbers, they are consistently good, although I’m sure he wants to cut down on the turnovers. The problem with Romo is the perception that he can’t win in Dec/Jan. How much of that is true, how much of it is on him, is a different debate. But I don’t think his relationship with Jess had anything to do with him on the field. It’s all perception, not reality. Now, am I glad that’s over? Sure, got tired of reading about it all the time. Do I think it changes anything with Romo? No. The reason Romo can take over this team and make it his would have more to do with the departure of T.O.
