My Ricky Williams Blog

Our Football insiders for NFL Picks report that the Miami Dolphins are truly a team on the up rise and one of the NFL teams to watch for the 2010 NFL season. The Miami Dolphins ran an unconventional wildcat offense last year that no one in the league could solve as they had one of the NFL's best rushing attacks ranked 4th in 2009. With a solid rushing attack, the Dolphins will look to Chad Henne who was named the starter by default when Chad Pennington was injured to be their quarterback of the future.

Chad Henne went 7-7 as a starter while throwing 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his 1st year as a starter for the Dolphins who were ranked 20th in passing. The Dolphins made one of the biggest impact moves on offense this off season by getting receiver Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos who comes to Miami catching at least 100 passes per season the last three years while scoring 23 touchdowns during that span. Marshall makes Miami's offense a threat on every down with the combination of Ricky Williams who rushed for 1,121 yards and Ronnie Brown who is coming back from a foot injury in the 2009 season.

The Dolphin defense struggled last year against the pass and the rush ranked 22nd in total yards. Their pass defense was a disaster ranked 29th in the league which caused the firing of defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and in with their new coordinator Mike Nolan. The Dolphins made an overall of changes on this side of the ball getting rid of cornerback Will Allen and safety Gibril Wilson as they will rely on second year cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith to take over a secondary that allowed a total of 57 completions of 20 yards or more. Miami was ranked 18th against the run and may suffer early in the season without nose tackle Jason Ferguson who was suspended for the first eight games although new outside linebacker Karlos Dansby should close some holes for their rush defense.

The Dolphins have high expectations for Henne who showed signs of being a top flight NFL quarterback and if he can capitalize on his experience, this offense has the weapons to control the ball and score a lot of points. The question will still be with this soft Miami defense but with the changes made and new offensive coordinator Mike Nolan, they should improve immensely. The Dolphins will be in a three headed race in the tough AFC East Conference with the Patriots and Jets. Our Football experts for NFL picks predict that after surviving a 7-9 season playing a first year starter who was thrown into the fire, there is no reason the Dolphins shouldn't make the playoffs in 2010 if the stay healthy.

Go to http://www.jrtips.com/ to get all your winning NFL Picks and Football Betting Picks for the 2010 season.

The Miami Dolphins came out of nowhere in 2009 to win the AFC East before succumbing to the Baltimore Ravens in the first roundof the playoffs. The two main factors for the dramatic turnaroundnd rest with the acquisition of QB Chad Pennington who was released by the NY Jets after the team signed Brett Favre and the rise of the Wildcat formation that proved to catch several team (ie New England) off guard. In terms of fantasy though the Dolphins really don't have much in the way of players who fantasy owners would feel comfortable starting week in and week out. Let's dissect Miami in terms of fantasy potential heading into 2009.

After building a foundation along the offensive anddefensive lines in last year's draft, the Dolphins added to the framework with more skill position players on the second day of the 2009 NFL Draft. That was a good move because the Dolphins have very few play makers on the offensive side of the ball. Chad Pennington is back for another year but Chad Henne appears to be the future QB for the team. Even Pennington in his hey day with the Jets was really nothing more than a number 2 QB or someone that you may play based on the match ups.

So, needless to say don't be surprised if Pennington goes undrafted in most 12 team leagues this summer. Obviously, Henne bears no fantasy value at this point either. The only QB on Miami's roster that might be worth taking a very late round flier on is former WV QB Pat White with whom the Dolphins selected in the 2nd round. I doubt highly that White will be playing any QB this year and I am assuming the Dolphins drafted him specifically for the Wildcat which was so successful last year. This would be perfect for White andhe would be an upgrade over Ronnie Brown in that capacity. White, would represent the only Dolphin QB that I may consider in the late late rounds of my draft this summer.

Miami's running game was fairly decent in 2009 as Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 1575 rushing with a 4.2 yards per carry. There lies the problem though in terms of fantasy. If you read my column "Draft Running Backs Early: Buyer Beware" this is exactly what I am talking about. While the RB by committee is advantageous to incorporate in the NFL it represents a fantasy owners' worst nightmare. I personally drafted 420 Ricky last year and to be perfectly honest with you I thought he would rush for over 1000 yards because I didn't think Brown's health would make it through a whole season thus giving Williams the majority of the carries. Needless to say I was wrong mainly because Browns knee held up better than I thought it would. Don't expect anything special out of either of these guys in 2009 either. The committee will continue and to make matters worse at least half of Brown's 10 rushing TD's came in the Wildcat formation and with the inclusion of White into the mix Brown's role in the Wildcat is expected to decrease. Treat Brown as a number 3 RB or a Flex start and Williams as a reserve worth a late round pick in most leagues.

The receiving corps for Miami is worse that its running game in terms of fantasy potential. At this point the only consistent receive threat on the Dolphins lies with TE Anthony Fasano. 2008 saw Fasano catch 34 balls for 454 yards but 7 TD's. That is an outstanding TD total for an NFL TE and Fasano clearly became the go to guy for Pennington as the season wore on. I don't believe that Fasano was a fluke and with Pennington coming back for a 2nd year there is no reason to think that he can't be good for between 5-6 TD's this year. Consider Fasano a low end number 1 TE or at worst a great number 2 TE.

Although, improving Ted Ginn Jr. has not come close to living up to his potential. Moreover, Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo are nothing more than emergency stop gaps and if you are relying on either of them to produce for you consistently chances are your season will be ending early. Miami drafted Patrick Turner out of USC and Brian Hartline out of The Ohio State University to help solidify the receiving corps. After breakout 2008 campaign and subsequent impressive Senior Bowl scouts the Dolphins are high on Turner. At 6'5" he gives the Dolphins a big target something that the team has been lacking. Look for both Turner and Hartline to make the team but neither are warrant being drafted this summer in leagues with 12 or less teams. In larger leagues then maybe as a late round flier but not much more than that. As for Ginn and Camarillo treat them both as late round reserves until they start to produce quality fantasy points on a consistent basis.

Dan Carpenter converted on all 40 of his PAT attempts and was 21-25 on FG's making him a reliable fantasy option heading into 2009. Ginn makes the DST interesting but still not a unit at this point is worthy of playing every week especially seeing as though they have 4 games agains T.O. and Randy Moss. In summary, with the exception of Carpenter and Fasano I wouldn't rush out to draft many Dolphins for your fantasy roster for the upcoming season. Next up tomorrow: The New York Jets.

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of Gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Visit today at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

Ricky Williams is an accomplished NFL football player that played one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Toronto Argonauts in 2006. The events surrounding Ricky playing in the much lower profile CFL rather than the illustrious NFL are very unique to his particular situation which involved being suspended for the 2006 NFL season by the league for repeatedly violating the substance abuse policy. The drug that Williams abused on multiple occasions despite repeated warning was marijuana, a recreational drug that was not even used for performance enhancing purposes the way steroids or Human Growth Hormone (HGH) would be.

In late May of 2006 Ricky Williams signed a contract to play running back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The one year contract provided Ricky a source of income while he served his one year National Football League (NFL) suspension for violating the substance abuse policy in the NFL. The contract that Ricky signed was for 240,000 Canadian dollars. As a stipulation to the contract the Miami Dolphins, the NFL team that Ricky was contractually obligated to, required that Ricky be returned to the Miami team following his one season stint in the CFL.

Many fans in Toronto were elated by the prospect of bringing on a player with the talent of Ricky Williams to rev up their offense. More casual fans in the area were more excited that such a high profile player who was receiving a lot of media attention was joining their otherwise often forgotten local franchise.

For some people the signing of Williams tainted the respectability of the Toronto franchise and the entire league. Joe Theismann, a popular on air football personality and former player in both the NFL and CFL, made his disdain for the move by the Argonauts clear in a radio interview in which he belittled the franchise for stooping so low as to sign a banished player who had gained a reputation of a slacker and drug abuser. Theismann went as far as to describe Williams as "an addict," a comment that got a lot of attention in the world of football analysis. Amusingly, the Argonauts organization actually responded to the specific criticism by calling attention to a guilty verdict handed down to the son of Joe Theismann on drug related charged.

Williams was hampered by injuries during his one season in CFL and subsequently only played in eleven games. His rushing statistics of 526 yards and two touchdowns were barely newsworthy. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the time Ricky spent in the CFL was his professed love for the city of Toronto and the general style of the CFL as opposed to the more intense and structured NFL. On numerous occasions Williams spoke about enjoying the culture and pace of life in the international city of Toronto were football could be his job without having to be his life. Among the numerous things Ricky did during his time in Toronto was to teach yoga classes.

Jeff, the author of this piece, started watching Ricky Williams while he was a star at the University of Texas (UT). Jeff thinks that Ricky probably enjoys the relaxing game of golf. Williams might even have a University of Texas golf bag that he carries around when he's playing in recognition of his alma mater where he first became a household name. On the other hand, perhaps a guy like Ricky Williams would rather be getting a in a few yoga sessions rather than lugging around a UT golf bag for four hours across 18 holes.

The following rankings are based on a fantasy football player's year to end season value. If a draft or auction were to occur today this is the rank and value we place on the players based on their past performance and predicted future production. The basis for the valuations is a 10 team league starting 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE 1 K 1 Defense with a 50% yardage and 50% TD scoring system with no points awarded for receptions. The rankings are updated every Tuesday morning, allowing players to value their teams, analyze player values for trades and plan future moves to get the most return out of your Fantasy Football players.

1 Chris Johnson Titans, RB
The love child of Jar Jar Binks and Whoopi Goldberg keeps racking up points. Great playoff schedule. $43

2 Adrian Peterson
Vikings, RB He has racked up 1519 total yards and 14 tds (tied for rushing TD lead) and apparently can grow lizard skin at will. $38

3 Maurice Jones-Drew
Jaguars, RB What Would Jones Drew? Should bring home some fantasy hardware for teams. $37

4 Ray Rice Ravens, RB
He's a top 5 guy and we get the feeling he's only scratching the surface of his potential....if only he was featured more in their offense. $35

5 Cedric Benson Bengals, RB
With his hips healthy again he should be dancing back to early season form. Almost hung a hundo on the stout Vikes run D. $28

6 Ricky Williams Miami, RB
Ever since Crockett got hurt, Tubs has taken over. Look for Miami Vice solo act Ricky "Tubs" Williams to deliver the goods championship week, against the Texans. $28

7 Steven Jackson Rams, RB

4 TD's on the year is hard to forgive. But, with 2 good playoff matchups he could redeem himself. $25

8 Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals, WR
If old man Warner can keep it together his playoff matchups look incredible..... @DET then home vs STL. Pending results of Monday Night Injury. $25

9 Ryan Grant Packers, RB
Tough 1st playoff game vs PIT. He and Packers are surging though, we are believers. $24

10 DeAngelo Williams Panthers, RB
After last years fantasy playoff run, you gotta have him in your line up. $23

11 Andre Johnson Texans,WR
He and Schaub are clicking... Rams and Dolphins make for a good playoff schedule. $22

12 Thomas Jones Jets, RB
If you seek flashy highlight reel TD replays, go elsewhere, but if you like reliable production, you've come to the right place. $21

13 Aaron Rodgers Packers,QB
Now that he is getting the playground approved 5 banana count from his O-line, he is looking better than ever. Topping the charts in most scoring formats. $21

14 Drew Brees Saints, QB
If you're a Brees owner your rooting for one of two options; Saints try to go undefeated or the start losing.... either scenario keeps him on the field. $20

15 Anquan Boldin Cardinals,WR
This won't be the last time you hear this at this site, the Cardinals fantasy playoff schedule is as good as it gets. $20

16 Randy Moss Patriots, WR
Giving body language like he's starting to check out mentally for the season, on the other hand a strong finish would not surprise us. Tough read. $19

17 Rashard Mendenhall Steelers, RB
Despite killing owners with his recent performance against CLE, he remains a strong option going forward. $19

18 DeSean Jackson Eagles, WR
Seems to be clear of the concussion. He doesn't get a ton of receptions, but 18.9 yds/catch is tops in the league (of relevant WR's)....and he returns the occasional punt for 6 as well. $19

19 Frank Gore 49ers, RB
What happened to running 3 times and then punting? Obviously, the 49ers are better off with their new pass first offense, but that is not sitting well with Gore owners. $17

20 Jamaal Charles Chiefs, RB
He's been red hot since taking over the starting role. Chiefs are not a high powered an offense, but he is getting it done on his end. $17

21 Brandon Marshall Broncos, WR
Just set the single game NFL reception record (21) and looks to be hitting his stride, rewarding owners who stuck with him. $17

22 Joesph Addai Colts, RB
Quietly having a really nice season. He has pressed the pause button on the Donald Brown era for now. $17

23 LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers, RB
He's been surprisingly consistent since coming back from injury early in the year. $16

24 Wes Welker Patriots, WR
The league leader in Receptions (105) and second in yardage (1158) gives you week in week out consistent production, any TD's are just icing on the cake. $16

25 Vincent Jackson Chargers, WR
Is to San Diego WR's what MadMen is to AMC.....both have made something completely irrelevant worth watching now. $16

26 Kurt Warner Cardinals, QB
The old man has two great matchups to bring home fantasy championships; @DET then home vs STL. $15

27 Miles Austin Cowboys,WR
Blind Melon, The Proclaimers, Chumbawumba and Hanson want to know his secret for multiple hit success. $14

28 Sidney Rice Vikings, WR
Having the prototypical wide receiver 3rd year breakout season. Expecting even bigger things next year. $14

29 Chad Ochocinco Bengals,WR
Typical streaky season for Chad OchoTweets. Faces 10th (SD) and 24th (KC) ranked pass defenses weeks 15 & 16. $14

30 Calvin Johnson Lions, WR
Looking more like a 'second tier' transforming machine to robot action figure of the 80's......Gobot in disguise! $13

31 Pierre Thomas Saints, RB
He plays Suzanne Summers in the Saints aggravating Three's Company sitcom. He is the hottest by far, yet Mike Bell in the role of the butch brunette gets far too much screen time $12

32 Matt Schaub Texans, QB
He has been a house of fire all season. Faces STL (19th) and MIA (22nd) next two weeks. $12

33 Phillip Rivers Chargers, QB
The main reason the Chargers have won 8 straight. Model of consistency; never scored more than 23 or less than 9. $11

34 Tom Brady Patriots, QB
Everyone in the AFC is rooting for a colicky Brady baby to hamper his production. $11

35 Brandon Jacobs Giants, RB
Like B Jacobs....as much as everyone likes the Cool Asian guy with the twirling kicks in Karate Kid, at the All Valley Tourney, maybe it's just time to admit he's not quite as good as we'd like him to be. $11

36 Steve Smith Giants, WR
Nothing too flashy here, just a consistent 75 yds/game and a TD mixed in every few. $10

37 Peyton Manning Colts, QB
Will you get more than 2 quarters of production out of him? If he's playing for the perfect season, we think so. $10

38 Mike Sims-Walker Jaguars, WR
Having a solid year for the Jaguar-Leopards. As long as he's healthy he could finish very strong. $9

39 Vernon Davis 49ers, TE
A monster who probably deserves to be higher. He'll be spending his off-season lobbying for equal treatment of Tight Ends. $9

40 Kevin Smith Lions, RB
Fairly consistent for such a bad offense. Hope for 8 points, anything more is gravy. $8

41 Roddy White Falcons, WR
247 yds and 2 scores in the last 4 games, not setting the world ablaze, but a strong #2 WR. $8

42 Michael Turner Falcons, RB
The Burner......if last year he was fueled by petroleum products......this year he's apparently switched to "easy bake oven" technology. $8

43 Antonio Gates Chargers, TE
Slow start, but coming on strong. He's delivered fantasy championships before, in Gates we trust. $8

44 Reggie Wayne Colts, WR
Hasn't gone over 50 yds in the last three weeks, cutting his owners deep......I'm talking like BJ Penn cutting Diego Sanchez's forehead with a head kick deep. $7

45 Marion Barber Cowboys, RB
716 yds and 4 TD's on the year....he's on the list based on potential, not for past performance. $7

46 Marques Colston Saints, WR
Marques, along with posse; Shonne, Toni, Geoff, and Alicks frequent the island of misfit name spellers. $7

47 Quinton Ganther Redskins, RB
Shined in his first start against the Raiders, now let's see how he does vs an NFL team. $7

48 Fred Jackson Bills, RB
Every other week streak means, bench next week, cash in on championship game pending your options. $7

49 Beanie Wells Cardinals, RB
Received the bulk of the carries in the Monday night game vs SF. If he continues to get the lion's share of the work, he has plenty of upside with the aforementioned AZ playoff schedule. $7

50 Greg Jennings Packers, WR
His reversal of fortune this season rivals only that of an amateur competitive eater; one minute focused and poised for a Coney Island Championship, the next he's got semi-digested wet hot dogs & buns all over his shoes. $7

http://www.FantasyFortunes.com A fantasy football site which does a weekly humor based top 50 ranking of year to end values for players in the nfl.

Ricky Williams was born in May of 1977 and is a famous National Football League (NFL) running back who arrived with the Miami Dolphins after playing for the New Orleans Saints and the before them the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns. Ricky has repeatedly proven himself as a valuable player for whatever team he is playing on and in some respects seems to be getting better with age, a statement that is simply unheard of at the running back position. Most fans do not realize that while Ricky was playing football in Austin, Texas he was also playing minor league baseball during the football off season.

Ricky was born in San Diego, California in the late 1970s he primarily grew up with his mother after his parents separated when he was six years old. As a teenager at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego Ricky excelled at a number of sports as a varsity member of the track, wrestling, and baseball teams in addition to the success he enjoyed on the football field. After rushing for over 2,000 yards and punching in 25 touchdowns as a senior at Patrick Henry High School Ricky was awarded the coveted Offensive Player of the Year award by the local San Diego newspaper. Considering the population and number of athletes playing football in the San Diego area this award speaks volumes about the grid iron abilities of Ricky Williams.

Despite the promise that Williams showed on the football field it was a career on the baseball diamond that he originally chose to pursue right out of high school. While most football fans primarily think of Ricky Williams as a football player for the University of Texas Longhorns before his entrance into the NFL he actually played minor league baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system while at the same time playing football for the UT Longhorns. Ricky was taken in the 1995 baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round.

Most people are not as familiar with the baseball career of Ricky Williams because it never really took off. Williams spent four years in Single A which is the lowest of the minor league divisions of Single A, Double A, and Triple A. Triple A is the highest level of minor league baseball before being called up to the big leagues. Unbeknownst to most college football fans while Williams was breaking college football rushing records (including the coveted most rushing yards record) he was spending his football off seasons playing baseball and struggling in vain to break into Major League Baseball.

Jeff, the author of this article, understands that Ricky has some unique interests that include teaching yoga. If Ricky is into golf he likely plays with a University of Texas golf bag to honor his alma mater where he won the Heisman Trophy. Given the public statements that Ricky Williams has made about his marijuana usage it might be fair to assume he has something more psychedelic to carry his golf clubs in than a run of the mill UT golf bag.