NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 9

This week had a lot of byes or Monday night games for the top rookies, but we definitely have some newcomers to the list. We also see that more and more late rounders are coming out of the woodwork to become productive for their teams, so be sure to dig through your commons before tossing them in a shoebox for eternity.

Josh Freeman

Its rare that Aaron Rodgers is out performed. Its even rarer that a rookie does it. The odds in vegas may not have even fathomed that a rookie QB on a winless team would beat him. Freeman played the game of his life in his first game, and it is ridiculous to think that he did it against a surging team like the Packers. 3TDs 200 yards passing, and 20 yards rushing. Thats pretty damn good. He WILL NOT play this well every week, but he looks like he could at least have some potential, which the Bucs must be loving.

Matt Stafford

Stafford had a pretty bad week this week, throwing 5 interceptions against the Seahawks. People on the boards have already started calling him a bust, but we have to remember that he is still a first year fucking QB in the toughest game to play well in. He had a bad game, on one of the worst teams in the league. Im not saying anything yet, but I will continue to say that holding his cards from the beginning was stupid.

LeSean McCoy

McCoy put up 100 total yards this week against a very good team, and I am thinking he is turning out to be one of the best non-first round picks of the year. He didnt get into the end zone, but he played very well. The problem is, once Westbrook comes back, its back to normal bench work.

Brandon Pettigrew

Welcome to week 9 Brandon Pettigrew! Holy crap, took you long enough. He caught 7 passes for 70 yards with a TD, though he was the only bright spot for his team. Pettigrew still has a REALLY long way to go, but its interesting that it took him this long to get involved. I think he will continue to come around, but its going to take a while when you have as many problems as the Lions do. Of course, I pulled one of his cards too this weekend, just my luck.

Johnny Knox

Knox has been relatively silent since the Bears decided to take a swan dive into the shitter. He caught 4-30, and really did nothing for the second game in a row. Another passenger on the NFL rookie roller coaster I guess. I think if you are holding his cards, you should have sold a few weeks ago.

Hakeem Nicks

Same as Knox, Nicks was silent again this week with 3 for 39 yards. The Giants in general didnt do much against the Chargers, so when you are the number three guy, its tough to get involved. I am still in the house that thinks Nicks is still one of the top rookie receivers of the year, but he needs to do better to keep that designation.

Beanie Wells

Wells had a pretty good game with 13 rushes for 72 yards, though he still has yet to really impress anyone. The focus of the Cardinals offense may be to blame for his lack of success, but he also hasnt done much with what he has been given. At least this game shows his YPC avg has potential to improve.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Bye week

Brandon Pettigrew - May come out next week if he has another good game

Matthew Stafford - Has done little since his injury, so I have to put him here because of the body of work

Michael Crabtree - 3 for 30 isnt going to cut it when you hold out for as long as he did

Beanie Wells - Still not much for a guy who had the hype he did.

Sometimes You Just Get Effing Lucky!

Today I was picking up some supplies to ship out the Exquisite cards, and my friend came along with the idea of busting a bunch of stuff while he is back from Iraq. Being deployed in the army, he doesnt have too many expenses, so he has a lot of disposable income - much to my benefit. He settled on three boxes of Classics, two boxes of Icons, a box of 09-10 Ultimate Basketball, and a few other hit per pack products.

After getting through everything and ending up with some ridiculous pulls, he gave me the last few packs from his Classics box. He had already pulled a Moreno saturday stars jersey auto out of the box, so he thought there wasnt much left in there. He was wrong.

Now, as much as I hate the base design for Classics, I always appreciate a good pull.

This one was easily the nicest pull Ive ever had out Classics, numbered out of 250.

To continue the lucky day, I also hit this in the last pack:

It is numbered out of 25, gotta love that kind of streak. If only I could transfer that over to other products, right?!?

Thanks to Jeff for the packs.

Will Matt Stafford Be Worth Your TIme?

Matt Stafford, so far, is the consensus number 1 pick in the draft. We are still in the pre-combine stages, though after this weekend's event, there should be a pretty good idea of what to expect from the players. But, with the Lions at #1, still hosting the worst record ever posted by a modern era team, will Matt Stafford be worth your time come opening day 2009?

If you take a look back at the way the hobby values top QBs, its been hit and miss at best. Eli Manning was a big hobby all star, but he also plays in NY. Matty Ice was the star of his class, and put up a memorable RC season with a rebuilding team to accomplish it. Then again, Jamarcus Russell's value has plummetted with his awful season with the Raiders, and Alex Smith is about to lose his job after being the #1 pick with the Niners.

Matt Stafford is coming into a situation that has no where to go but up, it could be a different story. Stafford will probably sit a year and let John Kitna finish out his deal, or wont start until late in the season (barring another awful start or injury). That fact alone will automatically hurt value a tiny bit, though some prospectors dont mind the wait.

Stafford, also when you think about it, is only the #1 pick because Bradford and Tebow decided to stay in school. When teams are forced to settle, it doesnt usually work out. Then again, with very nature of the position, anything is possible (IE Tom Brady).

I think if you are a Bulldogs fan, go for it, collect what you like. If you are looking for your RC to collect for 2009, I would think twice about shelling out top $ for his cards. Yeah, you may end up smacking yourself for missing out on his shit, but really, its not worth the risk based on the situation. Hell, if he aint signed by draft day, I would DEFINITELY think twice, because a holdout is always a possibility with a situation like the lions this year or the Raiders in 2007.

Personally, I think a guy like Josh Freeman would be a better bet because his cards will be cheap to start, and if he makes it onto the field, you should have a pretty good return in your investment. I would love to see him drafted by the Vikes at 22, but as things shape up with the Jets, that may not be possible. Of course, the higher he is drafted, the higher his cards will cost, so watch out.

Right now, pre combine, here is where I would put the hobby value of the RCs:

1. Matt Stafford
2. Michael Crabtree
3. Mark Sanchez
4. Knowshon Moreno
5. Beanie Wells
6. Josh Freeman
7. Percy Harvin (tie)
7. Jeremy Maclin (tie)
9. LeSean McCoy
10. Darrius Heyward-Bey

We will see once UD Draft is released where these guys are, but with everyone trying to get in on the post draft action, including Topps with their ridiculous offerings, who knows.