Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Once the NFL lockout finally ended, a frenzy of negotiations and free agent signings took place. The whole ordeal was a bit like setting a plate of pizza rolls out for your teenage son and his three comrades. After only a few minutes nothing is left but the crumbs, or in this case, Braylon Edwards. Now that most of the free agency has been sorted out, I will start my pre-draft player analysis with a list of this year’s top 10 sleeper picks. Here are numbers 10-6. Come back soon for my top 5 sleepers in 2011.

Pizza rolls. Not just for breakfast anymore.

10. Randall Cobb, WR (GB) Cobb was Green Bay’s second round draft choice this year. Though he likely will not crack the top four on the depth chart at receiver, he has the potential to be a factor purely because of his versatility. He will start the season as a punt returner, and could also get some time on kickoffs. He will see some action on offense in a Percy Harvin-type role, which could expand as the season wears on. Cobb is a deep sleeper that should go undrafted in almost all leagues, but keep your eye on him to be the first to grab him off waivers.

9. Jacoby Ford, WR (OAK) Ford will be limited by Oakland’s quarterback situation, but the value he loses there, he gains in having plays designed specifically for him on offense and his involvement on special teams. Ford has lightning speed and the ability to break free if he gets open space. He is likely to score on a few returns and will gain rushing yardage on end-arounds. Oakland also likes to use him on receiver screens. If your league does not give points for return touchdowns, his stock severely drops.

8. Ronnie Brown, RB (PHI) I’ll admit, Brown is a 29-year-old back that only averaged 3.7 yards per carry last year. However, that was with the Miami Dolphins run-first offense that often played from behind. Once the luster of the wildcat wore off, Brown became an average back on a horrible team. This year, he will be behind LeSean McCoy on the depth chart with a pass-happy coach. He isn’t going to get many touches early in the season, but should Brown show he still has it, he could find himself in a 50-50 split of the carries for a very good Eagles team (a team that is likely to score a lot of points, might I add). Draft Brown with a late pick as your third or fourth back, and you might just stumble upon something special.

7. Michael Jenkins, WR (MIN) Jenkins has had 50 or more receptions in three of the last four seasons (41 last year in 11 games). This year, he will be in a similar offense in Minnesota. He is currently listed as third on the depth chart behind Harvin and Bernard Berrian, but with Harvin’s migraine issues and Berrian’s decline in productivity, Jenkins could find himself as the go-to guy at wide receiver. Jenkins will go undrafted in typical leagues, but he is worth a late-round draft choice because he may not be available on waivers after week 1.

6. Steve Breaston, WR (KC) In Arizona’s magical year of 2008, Breaston had 77 receptions and over 1,000 yards. Since then, Arizona has had major questions at quarterback. He is now going to the much-improved Chiefs and will step in as their second receiver. With Dwayne Bowe demanding much of the defense’s attention, Breaston might reach the 1,000 yard plateau again. Breaston may be worth a middle-round reach if you need depth at receiver.