From the files of Police Squad:
“Is this some kind of bust?”
Lt. Frank Drebin: “It’s very impressive, yes.”
Gigli, Ryan Leaf, Darko Milicic, Carl Pavano…
Busts come in all shapes and sizes; flops on the big screen, disappointments on the gridiron, failures on the hardwood or frustrations on the diamond.
Brien Taylor, Brian Bosworth, Catwoman…
With every pleasant surprise or breakout player, there is always a bust to go with it. This is the list that no player wants to end up on. Chutes ‘n’ Ladders will rank the top-ten flops at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions from the 2007 season.
Quarterbacks
1. Marc Bulger, STL 221-for-378, 2392 yards, 11 TD, 15 INT
2. Alex Smith, SF 94-for-193, 914 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
3. Rex Grossman, CHI 122-for-225, 1411 yards, 4 TD, 7 INT
4. David Carr, CAR 73-for-136, 635 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT
5. J.P. Losman, BUF 111-for-175, 1204 yards, 4 TD, 6 INT
6. Steve McNair, BAL 133-for-205, 1113 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
7. Daunte Culpepper, OAK 108-for-186, 1332 yards, 5 TD, 5 INT
8. Matt Leinart, ARI 60-for-112, 647 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
9. Vince Young, TEN 238-for-382, 2546 yards, 9 TD, 17 INT
10. Tarvaris Jackson, MIN 171-for-294, 1911 yards, 9 TD, 12 INT
Perhaps the top player in sports that belongs on this list is the incarcerated, former No. 1 selection, Michael Vick. Not only did he go from being an idolized superstar millionaire to a disgraced, ostracized prisoner, he’ll be an example for years to come of somebody who had it all and threw it away because of poor decisions.
Among the guys that actually took a snap this season, Bulger entered the season as a top-five QB option in fantasy behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Drew Brees. Instead of living up to the hype like the aforementioned other four players, Bulger averaged less than a TD per game and threw more picks than TDs for the first time in his six seasons. Even with the high-powered Rams offense, Bulger was overmatched all season. Don’t be surprised if St. Louis takes a quarterback in this April’s draft.
It might be time to consider retirement for Culpepper, McNair and Carr though. After failing as a franchise QB in Houston, Carr showed absolutely no heart in Carolina this season. Primary starter Jake Delhomme went down with a season-ending injury early on, but Carr looked totally lost in his four starts and six games played. He never threw over 155 yards in any game and then sat out the final five games with an injury. He earned $12 million this season too – that’s a cool $4 million per TD pass. Injuries have caught up to McNair and Culpepper this season, sidelining them for a total of 19 games. The two former superstars are shells of their former selves though and it would be very far-fetched to expect anything out of either of them again down the road.
Running Backs
1. Rudi Johnson, CIN 170 rushes, 497 yards, 3 TD, 13 rec, 110 yards, TD, 2 FL
2. Larry Johnson, KC 158 rushes, 559 yards, 3 TD, 30 rec, 186 yards, TD, FL
3. Shaun Alexander, SEA 207 rushes, 716 yards, 4 TD, 14 rec, 76 yards, TD
4. Cadillac Williams, TB 54 rushes, 208 yards, 3 TD, 3 rec, 17 yards, 2 FL
5. Cedric Benson, CHI 196 rushes, 674 yards, 4 TD, 17 rec, 123 yards, 2 FL
6. Travis Henry, DEN 167 rushes, 691 yards, 4 TD, 7 rec, 65 yards, FL
7. Ahman Green, HOU 70 rushes, 260 yards, 2 TD, 14 rec, 123 yards
8. Warrick Dunn, ATL 228 rushes, 718 yards, 4 TD, 37 rec, 238 yards, 2 FL
9. Dominic Rhodes, OAK 75 rushes, 302 yards, TD, 11 rec, 70 yards, FL
10. Laurence Maroney, NE 185 yards, 835 yards, 6 TD, 4 rec, 116 yards
Rudi rushes for 1,300 yards and 12 TDs in each of the previous three seasons with the Bengals. He was considered a perennial first-round draft pick in any fantasy league and one of the most reliable backs in the game heading into 2007. However, the career of a running back doesn’t last forever, and it appears Rudi’s days as a primary back could be over. From weeks 3-9, Johnson was held to just 28 yards rushing on 30 carries with three DNPs due to injury – ouch. He rambled for just 497 yards this season with a 2.9 average. He had just three end zone celebrations and will likely be supplanted by Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey or a new RB next season.
LJ and Alexander the Great also had tons of hype entering this season. The pair combined for an amazing 3630 yards rushing and 47 TDs in 2005, but didn’t even amass 1/3 of that in 2007. A foot injury sidelined Johnson for the final eight games, while Alexander posted career-lows across the board.
Cadillac and Benson both had their seasons cut short because of injuries, and Williams’ ailment could one of the career-threatening variety. He tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and will require 9-12 months to recover at least, and don’t expect much explosion in 2008. The way Earnest Graham ran the ball, the primary RB job will like be his next year as well. Benson took over the Bears running back duties after a deal shipped Thomas Jones to the Jets. Jones quietly had 1119 yards rushing, while Benson managed just 674 yards rushing on a meager 3.4 average. He completely lacked any burst through the hole and will be hard-pressed to get the job again in ’08. The Bears will need to use this draft to land a new RB.
Wide Receivers
1. Marvin Harrison, IND 20 rec, 247 yards, TD
2. Javon Walker, DEN 26 rec, 287 yards
3. Lee Evans, BUF 55 rec, 849 yards, 5 TD
4. Donte' Stallworth, NE 46 rec, 697 yards, 3 TD
5. Ronald Curry, OAK 55 rec, 717 yards, 4 TD
6. Deion Branch, SEA 49 rec, 661 yards, 4 TD
7. Joe Horn, ATL 27 rec, 243 yards, TD
8. Darrell Jackson, SF 46 rec, 497 yards, 3 TD
9. Eddie Kennison, KC 13 rec, 101 yards, FL
10. Santana Moss, WAS 61 rec, 808 yards, 3 TD, 2 FL
Thanks to a lingering knee injury, Marvelous Marvin snapped a streak of eight straight Pro Bowls and a streak of 73 consecutive starts this season. He had registered eight 1,000-yard campaigns in a row with at least 10 TDs in each, but didn’t even step on the field in the Colts final 10 games. Despite being 35 years old, the veteran will likely re-emerge as a fantasy threat again next season because of the way he was treated and didn’t push the knee. However, he headlines the list of top wide receivers that didn’t come through in 2007.
Walker and Evans posted 1,000-yard seasons in 2007, but were utter disappointments in 2008. In 2004, Walker looked like he was a superstar-in-the-making with Green Bay, racking up 89 catches, 1382 yards and 12 TDs. Since then he’s had two miserable seasons in three years, and is proving he’ll never be quite as good without Brett Favre throwing balls his way. He mustered just nine catches and 67 yards in the final 15 weeks. Evans enjoyed his breakout campaign last season with 82 receptions, 1292 yards and eight TDs. However, with J.P. Losman in and out of the lineup all year, Evans never was able to get any consistency going. He finished with 27 catches, 443 yards and three TDs less this season and proved he is not a No. 1 receiver in fantasy.
Age has caught up to Horn, Jackson and Kennison after strong careers. Kennison, who used to be the fastest player in the game, averaged 1,000 yards the past three seasons but barely broke 100 on the season this year. At 35 years old, it’s very possible he’s played his final game. Horn blew up for 1399 yards and 11 TDs in 2004 with the high-powered Saints, but has slowed down considerably since then. In three seasons, he’s compiled just 1576 yards and 6 touchdowns. Especially in the Falcons anemic offense, his productive days are in the rear view mirror. Jackson had been a top wide out in Seattle the previous seven years, averaging over 1000 yards per season. With the hapless Niners, the veteran only had only game with over five catches or 70 yards.
Some of these guys will bounce back strong next season, but the majority of them will likely fade into oblivion. The previous couple seasons, many people were hoping Favre would retire after throwing an atrocious 47 interceptions in 2005 and 2006. But look what happened this year. He put together his best numbers in a decade and now looks like he could play into his 40s. So, there’s still hope…