That was an interesting play by Sapp, but don’t make him your tight end
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, September 25, 2003
OK, just settle down now. Don’t go trying to pick up Warren Sapp as your new tight end.
Granted, the position is generally a tough one to fill if you miss out on the cream of the crop, but every starting tight end in the NFL will do you far more good than Sapp.
Besides, we hopefully won’t be seeing his pogo-stick dance again all season.
For those that are wondering what the heck we’re talking about here, Sapp got into Tampa Bay offense last week for the second time this season.
The first time was in Week 1, and the Philadelphia Eagles took it as a slap in the face when the 500-pound defensive lineman lined up as a tight end and caught a pass late in their blowout loss.
Last week, Sapp was on the receiving end of a 6-yard touchdown pass that was definitely more critical than the Week 1 showboating.
Still, the play – dubbed “Rolex,” because of Sapp’s affinity for the luxury watches -seldom will be used, and Sapp will be nothing more than a novelty on your fantasy team.
So, Marshall Faulk’s annual injury (predicted last week in this very space) came much sooner than expected, when he broke bones in his left hand, knocking him out of commission for four to six weeks.
While he’s out, he’s going to go ahead and get a little work done on his chronically bum knee.
But right now, there are two kinds of Faulk fantasy owners in this world. The ones crying are probably now looking at starting somebody like Trung Canidate. The ones smiling are the ones who were smart enough to pick up Lamont Gordon in the draft as their insurance policy.
Don’t drive a Cadillac without getting insurance.
Faulk’s injury could be a good thing for those who were waiting for him to shake his early-season frustrations. He will probably come back three weeks ahead of schedule and score five touchdowns in his return.
Look on the Bryson
There’s a new name in the Detroit Lions backfield, and it’s Shawn Bryson.
The Lions scrambled to pick up a running back when James Stewart went down with an injury.
They and many fantasy owners thought they had an answer in Olandis Gary, who rose to prominence as the first 1,000-yard rusher in the Broncos’ post-Terrell Davis era (followed by Mike Anderson, followed by Clinton Portis, for those scoring at home).
But Gary’s early struggles might indicate his success in Denver was more due to the system than to his own ability.
Bryson got the majority of carries last week, after leading the team in rushing the previous week, and leading in receptions. Expect his workload to increase, and pick him up as a No. 2 or 3 if you can.
This is a particularly bad week for a bye, with generally big names like Ricky Williams, Kerry Collins, Tiki Barber, Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Koren Robinson, and, surprisingly, Michael Pittman of the Bucs taking the week off.
It’s only the second week of byes, and it sounds simple, but pay attention. You don’t want to be the guy who started Joey Galloway last week.
Reporter Victor Balta:
425-339-3455
