We all have them. Those players that we bring with us no matter what team we're using in our franchise. Maybe their potential isn't high. Maybe they'll never even be a full-fledged starter, but you bring them over by trade or waiver wire because they play a key role in the success of your team.
Mine are:
Macho Harris, CB
If you'll recall, he was a Free Safety in M10 for the Philadelphia Eagles. I used him in M10 on my Vikings franchise, because this guy is an absolute terror. He can lay the lumber, and for me, he always came up big when it counted. I traded 3rd and 4th rounders and got him via trade from Philly, and he was the cornerstone of my secondary throughout my franchise. His rating never got over 83, but the rating also didn't do him much justice. If you got hit by Macho Harris, you fumbled. He wasn't much for coverage, however. He'd grab one or two picks a season, but I used him mostly for run coverage. I remember one year, toward the end of his storied career, Gerald Sensabaugh became available via free agency. Needless to say, I jumped all over that and enjoyed a dominate performance from my backfield. Currently, I'm using him in my Jets Franchise for M11. They moved him to corner, but I traded for him and converted him back to a Free Safety. He's enjoyed mild success through the first five games of the season. He's forced one fumble and recovered another one (which he took in for a touchdown). I look forward to having him on my squad for the next 10-11 years.
Steve Breaston, WR
Now here's a guy I have many stories about! Steve Breaston has always been my third wideout. He's the guy that can get me through in the clutch when I need it most. He was part of my Vikings squad last year. He wasn't an immediate sign for me, either. It was Year 4 of my franchise when he became available and I figured, "Why not? I need someone to sit behind Mike Fitzgerald and Hakeem Nicks." Little did I know, he'd be a key member of my team for the remainder of his career. I fondly remember a game against New England at Gillette Stadium. It was snowing, and Hakeem Nicks had just broken his collar bone. I was down 24-10 going into the second half, and all I had were Steve and Mike Fitzgerald. For those of you who haven't played with Mike Fitzgerald, let me tell you, he is DEFINITELY a possession receiver. Anyway, I moved Breaston up to the number one slot, and he finished the game with 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown as I went on to beat the Patriots in overtime. He's now on my Jets squad, and sure enough, Braylon Edwards gets injured in the first game of the year. Guess who my number one is now? That's right. Steve Breaston.
Dennis Dixon, QB
There isn't much that can be said about Dennis Dixon. He's a favorite of mine. I have hardly ever had to use him much, because he's simply not meant to start for my team. Any of them. He's always been a backup, but I have him there as my fall-back plan in case someone goes down. He's always been injury prone. In year 9 of my Vikings franchise, Kyle Orton took a spill and blew out his ACL, which ended his season. Sure enough, it was Dennis Dixon's time to shine. He'd been riding the coat tails for 8 years, and it was time for him to show what he could do. He rewarded me for the opportunity by getting injured two games later, effectively ending his season as well. His production was solid though, I do recall that. He wasn't stellar by any means, but he did the work. I attempted to give him the reigns this year when I gutted the Jets. I completely rebuilt the team, leaving very few players left from the original roster. Dennis Dixon was going to be the hood ornament of my team, the quarterback of the future. However, he got injured in the second week of pre-season, and just barely came back (Week 7). I'm not even bothering to insert him into the starting lineup, however. Michael Vick rose to prominence in his absence, and I'm not about to bench him yet. So Dixon can look forward to another 3-4 years of coat tail riding.
Justin Forsett, HB
Justin Forsett is a young gun running back that plays a role in my offense. I brought him in as a sort of outside specialist. He was used as a compliment to my heavy-hitter, Kendrick House. As we all know though, House is a very injury prone backer, so Forsett saw plenty of carries as my franchise progressed. He's a speedy little guy that's hard to hit. After three or four plays of Kendrick House running up the middle, Forsett could usually bust a 10-15 yard run to the outside on the pitch. It was money every time. I haven't decided if I want to bring him back for my Jets franchise, however. I have a different running scheme this year (Ryan Mathews with Toby Gerhart as his backup), and I'm not sure how I would fit Justin in. I've been a bit underwhelmed lately by Toby Gerhart, so I may be looking to switch things up depending on how the rest of the season goes.
Fred Davis, TE
Fred Davis is new to my "system" roster. I didn't use him once last season. I saw his performance in the actual NFL and said to myself, "Hmm, I'm not partial to tight ends, but this guy could be a nice addition to my team." I can't even begin to express how happy I am that I made that move. He's my go-to guy when Mike Vick gets in a jam. He'll get you 7-8 yards every time if you can get him the ball. Fred Davis is a monster, and I'm looking forward to having him on my Jets squad for the next few seasons.
Those are my guys. Now I want to hear about all of yours! I might even jot a few notes down and check out some players myself.
Mine are:
Macho Harris, CB
If you'll recall, he was a Free Safety in M10 for the Philadelphia Eagles. I used him in M10 on my Vikings franchise, because this guy is an absolute terror. He can lay the lumber, and for me, he always came up big when it counted. I traded 3rd and 4th rounders and got him via trade from Philly, and he was the cornerstone of my secondary throughout my franchise. His rating never got over 83, but the rating also didn't do him much justice. If you got hit by Macho Harris, you fumbled. He wasn't much for coverage, however. He'd grab one or two picks a season, but I used him mostly for run coverage. I remember one year, toward the end of his storied career, Gerald Sensabaugh became available via free agency. Needless to say, I jumped all over that and enjoyed a dominate performance from my backfield. Currently, I'm using him in my Jets Franchise for M11. They moved him to corner, but I traded for him and converted him back to a Free Safety. He's enjoyed mild success through the first five games of the season. He's forced one fumble and recovered another one (which he took in for a touchdown). I look forward to having him on my squad for the next 10-11 years.
Steve Breaston, WR
Now here's a guy I have many stories about! Steve Breaston has always been my third wideout. He's the guy that can get me through in the clutch when I need it most. He was part of my Vikings squad last year. He wasn't an immediate sign for me, either. It was Year 4 of my franchise when he became available and I figured, "Why not? I need someone to sit behind Mike Fitzgerald and Hakeem Nicks." Little did I know, he'd be a key member of my team for the remainder of his career. I fondly remember a game against New England at Gillette Stadium. It was snowing, and Hakeem Nicks had just broken his collar bone. I was down 24-10 going into the second half, and all I had were Steve and Mike Fitzgerald. For those of you who haven't played with Mike Fitzgerald, let me tell you, he is DEFINITELY a possession receiver. Anyway, I moved Breaston up to the number one slot, and he finished the game with 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown as I went on to beat the Patriots in overtime. He's now on my Jets squad, and sure enough, Braylon Edwards gets injured in the first game of the year. Guess who my number one is now? That's right. Steve Breaston.
Dennis Dixon, QB
There isn't much that can be said about Dennis Dixon. He's a favorite of mine. I have hardly ever had to use him much, because he's simply not meant to start for my team. Any of them. He's always been a backup, but I have him there as my fall-back plan in case someone goes down. He's always been injury prone. In year 9 of my Vikings franchise, Kyle Orton took a spill and blew out his ACL, which ended his season. Sure enough, it was Dennis Dixon's time to shine. He'd been riding the coat tails for 8 years, and it was time for him to show what he could do. He rewarded me for the opportunity by getting injured two games later, effectively ending his season as well. His production was solid though, I do recall that. He wasn't stellar by any means, but he did the work. I attempted to give him the reigns this year when I gutted the Jets. I completely rebuilt the team, leaving very few players left from the original roster. Dennis Dixon was going to be the hood ornament of my team, the quarterback of the future. However, he got injured in the second week of pre-season, and just barely came back (Week 7). I'm not even bothering to insert him into the starting lineup, however. Michael Vick rose to prominence in his absence, and I'm not about to bench him yet. So Dixon can look forward to another 3-4 years of coat tail riding.
Justin Forsett, HB
Justin Forsett is a young gun running back that plays a role in my offense. I brought him in as a sort of outside specialist. He was used as a compliment to my heavy-hitter, Kendrick House. As we all know though, House is a very injury prone backer, so Forsett saw plenty of carries as my franchise progressed. He's a speedy little guy that's hard to hit. After three or four plays of Kendrick House running up the middle, Forsett could usually bust a 10-15 yard run to the outside on the pitch. It was money every time. I haven't decided if I want to bring him back for my Jets franchise, however. I have a different running scheme this year (Ryan Mathews with Toby Gerhart as his backup), and I'm not sure how I would fit Justin in. I've been a bit underwhelmed lately by Toby Gerhart, so I may be looking to switch things up depending on how the rest of the season goes.
Fred Davis, TE
Fred Davis is new to my "system" roster. I didn't use him once last season. I saw his performance in the actual NFL and said to myself, "Hmm, I'm not partial to tight ends, but this guy could be a nice addition to my team." I can't even begin to express how happy I am that I made that move. He's my go-to guy when Mike Vick gets in a jam. He'll get you 7-8 yards every time if you can get him the ball. Fred Davis is a monster, and I'm looking forward to having him on my Jets squad for the next few seasons.
Those are my guys. Now I want to hear about all of yours! I might even jot a few notes down and check out some players myself.
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