Matt Leinhart needs to get his mind off the broads and onto playing QB.

Going Up

Jerricho Cotcherry, WR - Jets: As the Jets worked their way through the Brett Favre circus, it became obvious to me that Favre had found his go-to guy, his new Donald Driver: Cotcherry. Cotcherry is a lot like Driver, a tough guy who can take a short pass and get some yards after the catch. While I think both Cotcherry and Lavareneus Coles should have been upgraded on your charts the second the Jets acquired Favre, I think it will be Cotcherry-- not Pennington apologist Coles-- who will benefit the most.

Kevin Smith, RB - Lions: At the beginning of the summer, it looked like it would be an RBBC situation in Detroit, with Smith and Tatum Bell splitting time in the backfield. After watching them play, however, coach Rod Marinelli should make the rookie Smith his top RB option. At least if he wants the team to win. Smith is running hard and seems to actually want to play in the NFL, unlike Bell.

Ricky Williams, RB - Dolphins: Williams has completed an amazing NFL comeback, going from pot-smoking quitter to the most impressive player in Dolphins' camp-- he's even got fatso Bill Parcells singing his praises. While I'm not counting out Ronnie Brown, I figure that Williams will be getting the lion's share of carries the first month of the season while Brown heals up from his nagging injuries, and then settle into an RBBC/goal-line situation as the season drags on.

Desean Jackson, WR - Eagles: Here's another rookie who has made the most of the pre-season games. Jackson has looked good in camp and in games, and with the injuries to Reggie Brown and (more importantly) Kevin Curtis, Jackson will have plenty of PT early in the season. If he performs anywhere near an NFL level, he'll likely hold on to a starting job if/when Curtis returns this season.


Going Down

Matt Leinhart, QB - Cardinals: Unlike the Kevin Smith and Desean Jackson situations mentioned above, Leinhart is trying very hard to give the starting job back to Kurt Warner. I don't know if he's got too much skirt on the brain or if he simply isn't as good as we all thought, but Leinhart had best get his act together, and fast. Otherwise, he'll be riding the pine and become the next David Carr.

Julius Jones, RB - Seahawks: Continuing the "lost opportunity" theme is Julius Jones. This guy was signed as a free agent to replace Shaun Alexander-- but rather than make fans forget about Alexander the Great, all Jones has done is remind them that he's no better than perennial backup Maurice Morris. If any of you losers followed the "expert" advice of those fantasy rags at the newsstands, you probably wasted an RB3 slot on your rosters with Jones. Serves you right for relying on crap that was written in May. As a matter of fact, I want you to stop reading my column immediately and head over to that stupid WAFS site, because that's more your speed.

Chicago Bears Receivers: Look, Rex Grossman sucked, but at least he could occassionally hit a hot streak and get the ball downfield. Kyle Orton can't even do that much. Orton will be the type of QB that will hand off 30 times a game and try not to throw any interceptions. That formula works if you've got the 1985 version of the Bears' defense, but it will only lead to a 6-10 record with the 2008 version.

Daunte Culpepper, QB - Free Agent: OK. With all the human waste that has earned starting QB gigs in the NFL these days-- Orton, Troy Smith, J.T. O'Sullivan-- can someone tell me why Culpepper is still out of a job? By all accounts he's healthy and ready to go, but not one team has even considered C-Pep for a backup role. Culpepper needs to fire his agent and get someone like Drew Rosenhaus on the payroll... oh wait. He can't fire his agent-- that would be himself. That's right, Culpepper is his own agent. Ugh. Much like defendants who represent themselves in court, players who act as their own agents have fools for both representatives and clients.