Thoughts about next year based on the playoffs

[KingGhidra]

Personally, I think a good way to evalulate players for next season is how well their team looks in the playoffs. These games all mean something and players who step up get extra consideration from me next year.

Do you downgrade Jamal Lewis next year for completely disappearing in the Wild Card or do you chalk that up to a fluke?

I have even more respect for Steve Smith than I had after the regular season. He benefits from that run first, run second offense so well. So fast, if he gets behind a defender, it's all over. He has much better hands and "go up and get it" ability than I gave him credit for since he's so short. He'll definitely be a chic draft pick next year. I think I like him better than S. Moss next year.

I'm starting to think the Carolina backfield looks very similar next year to how it looked in today's game. Davis has had a string of injuries and really broke down Jerome Bettis style at the end of the season. Goings & Foster are gonna get a lot of carries next year. Is it just me or does Foster look a little slow for such a young guy? I hear after microfracture knee surgery, you're never the same. Nick Goings the sleeper RB out of Carolina?

Bulger, despite his great starting record, is really being exposed as average on a team with a lot of offensive weapons. He's still young though, only 1.5 seasons worth of starting. He definitely gets a major downgrade for me next year. I was a little zealous and seeing him as a top 5 QB next year, but I seriously doubt it now. Faulk still has it, I'll draft him in the second round for sure. He won't ever be the #1 fantasy back again, but he can still play.

Looks like Rod Smith still might have a season of some productivity left in him despite his age and "sleeper" Lelie knocking on the door. He finished 24th for WRs which isn't shabby at all. I think the torch would've gotten passed quicker had Plummer not gotten injured. Once you've got a Kanell back there, you just go to your sure receivers, Sharpe & Smith.

[Canacuna]

I don't know about anyone else, but Peyton Manning's game last week really boosted him in the 'ol QB rankings.

I'm not that high on Jamal Lewis next season. He played a somewhat easy schedule this season. Not to say that he isn't a good RB, but I there are about six or seven RBs that I would draft ahead of him. I don't think he's going to have anything resembling this season in the future.

I think the RB situation in Carolina next season could be similar to Green Bay, whereas they use a combination of RBs to get things done.

[Mercer Boy]

I'm really liking Stevie Smith for next year. I don't like Bulger due to the INT's, and I don't like any Carolina RB unless you can keep the whole bunch of them on your bench. Foster may be a good reserve RB to have if you have the room.

[srthree]

Carolina's D is for real and may get even better next year.

S Davis will be 30 and may have his workload reduced. But that should help him.

Delhomme should serve as a good #2 next year.

I thought Bruce was done. Maybe 1 more productive year?

Tom Brady could be a top 10. Imagine if he played in a warmer climate.

Faulk may sneak in as a late 1st rd pick. It's still the Rams O'.

[TTTBone]

I'm not sure this playoff performance theory really holds up too well in today's NFL. Check last years playoff performances...
Top QB ratings:
1) Collins - 112.7
2) Holcomb -107.6
3) Maddox - 84.2
Rushing yds. per game:
1) Tiki -115
2) Cmart - 70.5
3) Zereoue - 61.0
WR yds. per game:
1) Kevin Johnson - 140
2) Toomer - 136
3) TO - 106

Check the full stats here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/statistic ... &year=2002
But, I don't really think they provide a lot of insight into what went down this year, and I don't really see next year being a whole lot different.
We can try to imply individual player perfomance from one year to the next based on playoffs, but the unique make up of teams is just too fluid in today's NFL to really give a whole lot of validity to basing individual player evaluations on last year's playoff performance. Look at the changes in player values from the season's start to the season's end... that is probably about the amount of change that will happen from Super Bowl to Regular Season Kickoff. And, that is what makes draft time so great, and also why people are already talking mock-drafts. Individual playoff performances, sure, take a look at 'em... they can tell you a lot, but they can also be misleading... be sure to take a very close look at the team, and the player's past performance, as a whole.

[recmccl]

No way Jam Lewis repeats this years performance. I think he goes back to 1350 yds and 8-10 TDs in 04. I'll still take that though. He'll be a late 1st Rd/early 2nd Rd pick

Playoff experience will make Carolina's DEF even better.

Bruce will be a borderline #2/#3 WR next yr. Still has some good games, but going to be too unpredictable.

Too bad Tom Brady does play in cold weather. If he ever gets a good schedule, he could post 4000 yds 25 TD type seasons

Steve Smith may be the only reliable fantasy player on carolina in 04. I see a lot more of Davis breaking down in the future and a lot of RBBC in Carolina.

Bulger sucks. Enough said.

Peyton Manning is the best QB in football. I'll take him every year.

[Guttpuppy]

Carolina's pass O has really come into it's own helped by their rungame.We're hearing a lot about Smith but DelHomme has come along as well,Muhammed has had decent games too...maybe not FF starters but quality back-ups and fill-ins.

[AF]

Being a Browns fan I put very little into how a player does in a play-off game. Just look at Holcomb last year. Everybody thought he was going to be great after he torched the Steelers last January and this year he did jack. It's just another game, I see very little reason to adjust a players value much based on how they did in one game. You could also argue that players who had bad games are going to be better next year because they got a taste of the post-season and played poorly so they will work harder in the off-season. You have to look at how these players did all year not just in the play-offs and take age ang other factors into account.

[VHawk15]

Yeah, I agree with AF. Flukes can happen in play-off games just as much as they can in regular season games. Just look at TTTBone's stats if you want evidence.

[KingGhidra]

Being a Browns fan I put very little into how a player does in a play-off game. Just look at Holcomb last year. Everybody thought he was going to be great after he torched the Steelers last January and this year he did jack. It's just another game, I see very little reason to adjust a players value much based on how they did in one game. You could also argue that players who had bad games are going to be better next year because they got a taste of the post-season and played poorly so they will work harder in the off-season. You have to look at how these players did all year not just in the play-offs and take age ang other factors into account.

Well umm.. everyone torched the Steelers secondary last year. Holcomb did the same thing this year, so it was a good predictor.