Wildcat Hype
Jun 01, 2009 at 1:14 PM
The Miami Dolphins made a splash last year by rolling out the widcat offense to upset the Patriots in Week 3. It mattered to fantasy owners because the game made a one-week fantasy monster out of Ronnie Brown, as he rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another. He single-handedly decided games that week. Brown would only score six touchdowns the rest of the season and the wildcat offense failed to take the league by storm, leaving many to write off the whole idea.
No doubt the single-wing gadget plays that are run in the wildcat are gimmicky. Warren Sapp even called them disrespectful. The scheme has never consistently worked beyond the college football level, but there is no rule that it can't; especially when you have an increasing number of "slash" like players entering the league.
The Dolphins aren't letting the offense go. Rather they are seeking to augment it in 2009, and they drafted wide receiver/quarterback Pat White to help them in that regard. The Ravens dabbled in it effectively with Troy Smith last season. Now the Vikings are practicing the formation in minicamp with Percy Harvin taking the snaps. Other teams like the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Raiders (Darren McFadden ran it in college at Arkansas) are rumored to be considering it as well.
One other name that is starting to crop up in wildcat discussions: Michael Vick. He may be available to return to the NFL soon and the wildcat offense would seem to suit his skill set perfectly.
In short, I think the wildcat offense is not going away any time soon. I don't know that it's going to revolutionize NFL offenses, but at a minimum it will force defenses to have more wrinkles to prepare for. For instance, the Vikings may run it just enough to give opposing defenses fits because it will be just another way to get Harvin and Adrian Peterson on the field at the same time. Talk about a defensive coordinator's nightmare!
Will it change the way I draft my teams this year? No, not really. But I'll be keeping an eye on the wildcat this preseason, and I'll be prepared to change player values here at FFChamps if need be. The more likely scenario is that the widlcat may start impacting player values and in-season pickups this season and the offense may have a meaningful fantasy draft day impact as soon as next year.
No doubt the single-wing gadget plays that are run in the wildcat are gimmicky. Warren Sapp even called them disrespectful. The scheme has never consistently worked beyond the college football level, but there is no rule that it can't; especially when you have an increasing number of "slash" like players entering the league. The Dolphins aren't letting the offense go. Rather they are seeking to augment it in 2009, and they drafted wide receiver/quarterback Pat White to help them in that regard. The Ravens dabbled in it effectively with Troy Smith last season. Now the Vikings are practicing the formation in minicamp with Percy Harvin taking the snaps. Other teams like the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Raiders (Darren McFadden ran it in college at Arkansas) are rumored to be considering it as well.
One other name that is starting to crop up in wildcat discussions: Michael Vick. He may be available to return to the NFL soon and the wildcat offense would seem to suit his skill set perfectly.
In short, I think the wildcat offense is not going away any time soon. I don't know that it's going to revolutionize NFL offenses, but at a minimum it will force defenses to have more wrinkles to prepare for. For instance, the Vikings may run it just enough to give opposing defenses fits because it will be just another way to get Harvin and Adrian Peterson on the field at the same time. Talk about a defensive coordinator's nightmare!
Will it change the way I draft my teams this year? No, not really. But I'll be keeping an eye on the wildcat this preseason, and I'll be prepared to change player values here at FFChamps if need be. The more likely scenario is that the widlcat may start impacting player values and in-season pickups this season and the offense may have a meaningful fantasy draft day impact as soon as next year.
Comments
On Jun 03, 2009 at 12:26 AM Joshua said:
This makes me wonder if a QB that had a strong arm,fast,strong,accrute would take this to the next step....i.e....Timmy in Flordia??? Could he be the missing tru piece with his arm, strength, and speed. Im a Big 10 fan so not even a fan of him just see him as the future if the League is going that way. your thoughts?
On Jun 03, 2009 at 12:14 PM Bo said:
I think he has the makings of a great pro quarterback whether he plays in a wildcat offense or not. Barring injury he is the top pick in next year's draft to some lucky team.
On Jun 05, 2009 at 4:02 PM Mark said:
To me this makes Harvin an exciting middle to late round flyer. He has been going in the 8th our 9th rounds in some of the early ppr drafts. When you hear him compared to Reggie Bush; that perks the ears of any PPR owner. I drafted him in the 9th yesterday; hoping to catch lightning in bottle.
On Jun 08, 2009 at 10:40 AM Bo said:
Mark, as I lifelong Vikings fan I am fighting the urge not to overreact to Harvin's potential. His possible fantasy impact is ginormous, but I drank the purple Kool Aid long ago so they are the only team I have trouble being completely objective about.
