Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers on Tuesday that could pay as much as $3 million a year.

Nnamdi Asomugha

Asomugha spent his first eight NFL seasons, from 2003-10, with the Raiders, so the Bay Area is familiar to him. His deal has no guaranteed money: He’s due for a base package of $1.35 million with salary and bonuses, and could earn up to $1.65 million in additional incentives for playing time, awards and reaching the playoffs.

That’s a dip from where Asomugha would have been this year had the Eagles not released him on March 12. He had been scheduled to make $15 million this year, with $4 million guaranteed, on the five-year deal he signed with Philadelphia in 2011.

Asomugha’s representative, Ben Dogra, said that Asomugha is expected to sign the deal Wednesday.

• The Raiders traded quarterback Carson Palmer to the Cardinals on Tuesday as part of a package that also included the Cardinals sending a sixth-round pick, Oakland sending a seventh-round pick, and Oakland receiving a conditional seventh-round pick if Palmer starts 13 games for Arizona in 2013, according to ESPN.

Palmer also agreed to a new contract with the Cardinals, who did not disclose the terms of the deal. According to ESPN, the contract is for two years and $16 million. Palmer had been scheduled to make $13 million with Oakland this season.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Week 14 waiver wire. We’re definitely switching our priorities now. The wire will begin to shrink from here on out as I focus more on players with playable upside. The byes are long gone and most leagues have dwindled to six teams or less after the elimination of non-playoff teams. That means there is less competition on the waiver wire and less teams with needs, too. Congratulations to those who are still alive. Come on over to Rotobahn for more advice. I’ll be adding players throughout the day as I work through the Week 13 games. I’ll also be adding an article on running back handcuffs for those who are fine-tuning their rosters to survive the playoffs. For those who have some tough lineup choices, we will be holding another Sunday morning chat this weekend at 11 a.m.  Stop by if you need any help.

QUARTERBACKS

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

He has a solid schedule and he’s a dual threat at the quarterback position. His ability to score with his feet was a big factor in Week 13, and it kept those who started him competitive despite his struggles throwing the ball. Coach Jim Harbaugh already has named Kaepernick as the starter for Week 14.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

The rookie got it done again, and he did it on the road against a very tough defense. Wilson now is a player who should be owned in all leagues. He can help you down the stretch if quarterback is your weakness. Wilson is looking like the biggest steal of the 2012 draft right now.

Carson Palmer, Raiders

Palmer bounced back nicely in Week 13 and he has a few good matchups left on his schedule if you need some help at quarterback. Palmer has had a solid year in spite of all the chaos around him. There’s no reason to think he’ll collapse now. The only thing to keep an eye on is backup QB Terrelle Pryor. If Oakland decides to give Pryor significant playing time, it could have an effect on Palmer’s stats. My guess is that we don’t see that until Week 17, but it’s worth monitoring.

Jay Cutler, Bears

He’s healthy now, and with Alshon Jeffery returning as soon as this week, we like Cutler to have a few good games the rest of the way.  There are no scary matchups left on his schedule.  Cutler has some value in deeper leagues.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Week 9 waiver wire. I’m hunkering down with Hurricane Sandy approaching Rotobahn headquarters. This week’s wire will be written before Monday Night Football because I probably will be without power by the time the game starts. There were some bust-outs this weekend and I want to touch on them now while I still can. Free agent moves could be tricky this week with so many people losing access to power. This is the point where I usually tell you to go to Rotobahn for more information, but this week, Rotobahn won’t have much more than you find right here. One thing I would recommend checking out are our full season rankings that I posted last week.  It’s a great way to weigh trade offers and to establish player values if you are constructing a trade offer.

Good luck to all over the next few days.

QUARTERBACKS

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

His team is improving around him, and a rising tide lifts all boats. That is to say, I’m not sure Freeman is playing that much better than he’s played in prior years, he just has a much stronger hand to play with Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin on board. Now the Bucs have the run feeding off of the pass and vice versa. This all bodes well for Freeman’s fantasy value going forward. He’s a guy to own in all formats.

Carson Palmer, Raiders

As I said last week, he is out there cheap and he won’t hurt you if you need to start him. The Raiders slowly are rounding into form and Darren McFadden finally showed up against the Jets last week, which could really help Palmer going forward. Palmer is a solid QB2 who can start for you in all formats when you need him.

Sam Bradford, Rams

He can’t help you this week, but he apparently is getting Danny Amendola back after St. Louis’ Week 9 bye. That gives him a nice assortment of weapons to work with. He will be a legit QB2 from Week 10 on.

Jake Locker, Titans

He should be back soon, and with so many healthy receivers and a fired-up ground game, he could do very well for fantasy purposes. Locker gives you the big play and he gives you points with his feet, which raises his floor. Be aware of his Week 11 bye, but we like him as a very strong backup option that can be had in many leagues. It’s hard to imagine the Titans not taking this soon-to-be-lost season and developing Locker regardless of how well Matt Hasselbeck plays.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Week 8 waiver wire. We have significant bye losses with the Ravens, Bills, Bengals and Texans all taking the week off. We’ll do our level best to help you cope with the bye week blues. I’ll be adding more players throughout the day at Rotobahn, so feel free to check us out, especially if you play in deeper leagues.

QUARTERBACKS

Carson Palmer, Raiders

He’s available in way too many leagues when you consider how well he has played. I’ve been a critic of Palmer in the past, but he’s been dealt a mediocre hand in Oakland and he’s handling it pretty well. Palmer is just one example of why paying big booty for a fantasy quarterback is a fool’s act. Palmer can start for you in any league and he won’t hurt you.

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

The talent around him has been upgraded, to put it mildly. Newly acquired skill players Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin did a lot of the heavy lifting for Freeman in Week 7, and that’s the key. Freeman doesn’t need to be superhuman to be a fantasy asset … that has not always been the case. Freeman is a nice QB2 in all leagues.

Brandon Weeden, Browns

He played another solid game under tough circumstances. As his teammates have gone down all around him, Weeden has stood tall and used his young receivers. Now, with both Josh Gordon and Greg Little making big plays, Weeden has the look of a winner and he can be a QB2 for you in most formats.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills

Fitzpatrick clearly is a matchup play in fantasy football. He can post very nice numbers against soft opponents, but he can be shut down with extreme prejudice by strong defenses.  Just look at what he’s done over his last four games. The pattern could not be more obvious. Fitzpatrick does have some solid matchups down the stretch. I like him a lot from Week 10 and beyond.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

He’s a backup for fantasy, but he is worth owning in larger formats. We’d be more bullish on Wilson for 2012, but his receiving talent is average and his schedule is tough. Leave him for 12-team leagues and larger.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Week 6 waiver wire. The bye weeks are in full swing, so it’s always a good idea to keep your bench strength at a maximum, and that’s what we are here for. Go to Rotobahn.com for full free agent rankings if you play in deeper leagues. We’ll be adding players all day as we continue to work through the Week 5 film.

QUARTERBACKS

Carson Palmer, Raiders

If he was dropped on his bye week, we suggest that you pick him up. He’s been playing pretty good football and the Raiders will be throwing a lot in 2012.

Christian Ponder, Vikings

He’s getting more love in the marketplace, but he’s still available in a lot of leagues and he makes a fine QB2 or matchup QB if you lack a strong No. 1 option.

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins

He stands tall in the pocket and gets it done with marginal personnel. The Dolphins have finally found their quarterback. Tannehill can be a solid backup for you in most formats.

Brandon Weeden, Browns

He was impressive again in Week 5. We like Weeden, as we said in preseason, and he is starting to show it on the field. He can be your QB2 in a deep league. Grab him if he’s available. The Browns have more offensive talent than they are given credit for.

RUNNING BACKS

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers

This one is obvious, but he is still unowned in some Yahoo leagues … and after last week, he needs to be owned everywhere. He looked pretty darn good in his first action since knee surgery.

Alex Green, Packers

He’s our guy for those of you who go back with us. He may finally get his chance this week after filling in well for Cedric Benson in Week 5. It appears that Benson could be out long term, so pick up Green in any league where you need a starter for Week 6 and beyond. He has a chance to make a name for himself now. Green is a great fit for the Packers offense. Tons of upside here. Check out this article I wrote on Green last year before his season-ending injury.

David Wilson, Giants

He’s a potential star. His upside alone makes him a guy you should want on your roster. Is he going to be given a bigger role after last week’s touchdown run?

Brandon Bolden, Patriots

He looks really good toting the rock, and Ridley now has fumbled in consecutive games. That is a risky way to keep your job under Bill Belichick. Bolden is a guy to own, especially in deep formats and long term. This kid is not a fluke.

Kendall Hunter, 49ers

He’s flashed his talents the last few weeks with the 49ers holding big leads and we expect him to be a bigger factor as the weeks wear on. The big reason to own Hunter is that Frank Gore is oft-injured and Hunter would start in his absence. Hunter is a very good handcuff option.

Pierre Thomas, Saints

He is playing well right now and he makes solid flex or bye week replacement in medium to large leagues. Thomas is involved in the passing game too, so he has PPR appeal too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Carson Palmer (AP)

With the Patriots securely in the postseason, it’s time to start sizing up their possible postseason opponents. This is part of a weeklong series of features on the rest of the AFC playoff teams. We’ve already profiled the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets. Now, we have a look at the Oakland Raiders:

The skinny: It’s a long shot, but during a season where they lost their leader in Al Davis, it would certainly be a nice way for the Raiders to end the year with a playoff berth. The Raiders are tied with the Broncos for the top spot in the AFC West at 8-7, but Denver has the tiebreaker, so Oakland needs some help, namely a win over the Chargers and a loss by Denver to Kansas City. (The Raiders do have a shot at a wild card spot if both they and Denver win, as long as Cincinnati and Tennessee both lose on Sunday. A Bengals’ loss to Baltimore and a victory by the Jets over Miami will also work out in Oakland’s favor.) Compared to what they went through over the last decade, it’s been a good year for the Raiders, as they posted wins over Houston, Denver and Chicago. Really, if you’re an Oakland fan, all you were hoping for this season was to play important games after Thanksgiving, and that’s what you got this season with this Raiders team.

Offense: When healthy, Darren McFadden (113 carries, 614 rushing yards, an astounding 5.4 yards per carry and four touchdowns) has run the ball as well as anyone in the NFL, but a right foot injury has left him on the shelf since October. In his place, the Raiders have turned to Michael Bush (237 carries, 911 rushing yards, seven touchdowns), who has run relatively well, but hasn’t given them the sort of production they got from McFadden. In the passing game, Carson Palmer has had his rocky points, but is at 171-for-285 for 2,336 yards with 11 touchdowns and 15 picks on the season. When he’s looked to pass, he’s usually targeted Darrius Heyward-Bey (55 catches, 845 yards, three touchdowns) and Bush (35 catches, 405 yards, one touchdown). Overall, they’re one of the better offensive teams in the league — Oakland is 13th in the league in passing (236.3 yards per game), sixth in the league in rushing (133.8 yards per game) and 17th in scoring (22.2 points per game).

Read the rest of this entry »

Boomer Esiason

CBS Sports NFL analyst Boomer Esiason made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Monday morning to discuss the state of various NFL teams following their Week 7 performances.

One of the hottest topics Monday morning was Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who engineered a late comeback against the Dolphins Sunday. Denver rallied from a 15-0 deficit with just five minutes left to tie the score at 15-15, then won the game on a field goal in overtime.

Despite the miraculous comeback, Esiason still does not believe Tebow has what it takes to be a long-term quarterback in the NFL.

“If you pick apart the game and you really look at it, you’d see that all the things we would have a concern about are there,” Esiason said. “The lack of accuracy, the inability to pick up blitzes the way you’re supposed to pick up blitzes as opposed to running out of everything. And the way that he generally plays the game. It was a stimulating finish. No question about it. He deserves all the credit for it. But at the end of the day, in my estimation, the way he played yesterday is not the way you’re going to win a lot of games in this league.

Esiason said that it has been difficult to criticize Tebow because of his popularity, but fans need to realize that criticism of Tebow is not meant as a slight on his character.

“People are misconstruing the criticism of Tim Tebow as personal attacks and things of this nature, which is absolutely asinine,” Esiason said. “It’s basically a real live criticism of the way he plays football. He has a very slow release. He’s extremely inaccurate.

“He’s a great player. He’s an intangible leader. All of those great things. But people don’t want to hear that. They want to look and see what they want to see. But in reality, if you really break it down, while he’s a great kid and all that other stuff, he’s not going to be a long-term solution for the Denver Broncos as their starting quarterback, or at least I don’t believe that.”

Read the rest of this entry »