We will have much more in-depth analysis of what the NFL Draft means for fantasy in coming days – in fact, the Post-Draft Stock Watch is already up – but as we did for the 1st round Friday, we bring you a quick round-up here of what happened on Days Two of Three of the draft as we wait for a pivotal ruling from the Eighth Circuit Court in St. Louis.

Mallett’s fall headlines Day Two … While both QBs Andy Dalton (#35 to Cincinnati) and Colin Kaepernick (#36 to San Francisco) went off the board earlier, the big news of Friday’s portion of the NFL was the fall of the polarizing Ryan Mallett. Mallett, who is the best pure passer in the draft, has had his character called into question, and he dropped all the way to the 74th pick overall in the 3rd round, where he landed with the Patriots. Obviously, the Patriots aren’t in immediate need of a starting QB, but it’s a good spot for Mallett to land because he’ll get to adjust to the NFL under the guidance of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. If maturity is a problem, there’s no better place for him to [...]

While the NFL Draft begins tomorrow night and gives us a nice break from lockout talk, the whole event has been overshadowed by the endless labor battle that gets more confusing each day. For a few hours, we can actually talk football, but for now, we bring you more news on the labor front.

The most confusing day in NFL history … And on April 26, 2011, media members were forced to stand on street corners and count how many players chose to show up at “work,” only to not work out and leave 20 minutes later. Some players showed up at their team facilities, many didn’t, some were able to use equipment (the New York Giants), and others weren’t. What does it all mean? Great question.

We’re still waiting a ruling from Judge Susan Nelson on granting the owners a stay, which would allow the lockout to continue until the appeals process has played out over the next couple months. The NFLPA filed a motion in opposition, and it came in at 23 pages. Things are changing by the minute, but for now we’ll point you to ESPN’s detailed summary. Essentially, the players argue that a stay should be denied because [...]

Mediation resumed in Minnesota on Thursday, and for once, it appears as if both sides of the table plan on honoring the gag order put in place. So while it appears there is a long way to go toward a new deal, the two sides are at least talking (even if it was forced). Why do I feel as if I’ve written this intro too many times before?

NFL, NFLPA meet under auspices of Judge Boylan… Mediation between both sides of the Brady v. NFL lawsuit were forced to meet on Thursday at the order of Judge Susan Nelson, who is still waiting to issue her ruling on the NFLPA’s request for an injunction against the NFL lockout. This time, the mediation (including several NFL owners) took place in the court of Judge Arthur Boylan, who has extensive mediation experience and, unlike George Cohen, has the power to report any wrongdoing in the sessions directly to Judge Nelson. That will certainly keep either side – especially the owners, we think – from trying to be overtly unreasonable in the sessions. The good news is that we do know, simply because intrepid reporters waited outside Judge Boylan’s chambers in Minneapolis, that the [...]

Could it be? Actual news about what happens on the field? YES! Okay, so it is just a couple of rules changes, but if it allows us to refrain from the legalese we will take it.

Josh Cribbs hates Ruxin, but not as much as he hates the new kickoff rules.

Owners vote to change kickoff, replay rules … at meetings that took place in New Orleans over the last few days. The competition committee has discussed proposals for changes in kickoffs recently, mostly as a way to make the game safer. The modified proposal, which was passed by the owners on a 26-6 vote, will move kickoff back to the 35-yard line after it had been at the 30 since the 1994 season. Kickoff returners from around the league expressed their displeasure with the new rule, which will almost definitely hurt what receiving teams will be able to do in terms of improving field position. Brown KR Josh Cribbs was on a media tour talking about the changes and was in complete disagreement with the new rule because it continues to make special teams a smaller part of the game, which can hurt teams like his Cleveland Browns, who depend [...]

We are in Week Two of Lockout 2011, and the owners have arrived in New Orleans for their annual meetings. Anything important for them to talk about? Hmmm.

Players answer Goodell’s letter … First both sides in the CBA talks quietly met in mediation. Then they started taking shots at each other over Twitter and through the media. Now, they’re writing letters to each other. Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to the players at the end of last week, detailing the owners’ offer and asking the players to return to negotiations. Many players didn’t enjoy the letter, and the NFLPA’s executive committee sent a reply to Goodell on Saturday. The gist of the letter: “Your statements are false.” So there we go. Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post says the letters again show the distrust between the two sides as they battle for public support. The April 6 court date still seems like ages away with nothing but this back-and-forth war of words happening. Brant also delivered a nice overview of what to expect from the Brady v. NFL case that will begin in a few weeks. The latter piece is required reading for anyone interested in the upcoming [...]

The labor talks are obviously the big story in the NFL with the CBA expiration date approaching rapidly. With the chance of a lockout looming, teams are making some last-minute roster moves, whether it be signings, releases, or placing RFA tenders (which may mean nothing) on certain players.

The NFLPA gets a favorable ruling … from U.S. District Judge David Doty, who declared that the NFL was in violation of the CBA by locking up $4 billion in television revenue to help survive a possible lockout. Despite the NFL downplaying the ruling by saying it was expected and that the teams were prepared for the possibility, there’s no doubt that this is a huge victory for the NFLPA since we are talking about billions of dollars. A hearing will be held to determine what happens to the money and whether or not the players will receive damages as a result of the violation by the NFL. After meeting for six hours on Tuesday, the two sides continue mediation talks on Wednesday with the entire NFL labor committee and the NFLPA executive committee present, including NFLPA president Kevin Mawae. With an owners meeting also scheduled on Wednesday just 25 miles away from [...]

We start another week of the off-season with some trade speculation, more labor news, and unfortunately some legal issues for more than one player.

After spending the majority of the 2010 season backing up Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb has made it clear he wants to start somewhere in 2011.

Kevin Kolb would be open to a trade to the Cardinals … after he heard the flattering comments made by WR Larry Fitzgerald. Kolb threw some compliments back at Fitzgerald calling him “one of the best receivers” and a “superstar.” Kolb has said on multiple occasions that he wants to start somewhere in 2011 and hoped the Cardinals came up in trade discussions. With rumors swirling that Michael Vick will be franchised by the Eagles, Kolb could be stuck backing him up yet again, or the Eagles could look to move him for draft picks, although the current CBA situation makes that more difficult.

The NFL and NFLPA are expected to meet … sometime this week according to multiple sources. Negotiations broke down last Wednesday, but the two sides have continued to communicate and are expected to go through with a scheduled meeting during the week. Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with owners [...]

Sooo, yeah. The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl champions, and thus concludes the 2010 NFL season. Obviously, there will be tons of doom and gloom thrown about in the media over the looming labor situation, but we are confident that the differences will be settled soon enough for a complete 2011 NFL season. With a great Super Bowl taking all of the attention in the media, today’s Fantasy Guru Daily will be a series of Quick Hits from the Super Bowl and around the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers named Super Bowl MVP… And in doing so, can he finally put to rest the notion that “Super Bowl experience” is little more than talkshow fodder to fill up hours of programming? With the Packers’ win, Rodgers becomes the third QB in the last four years to win in his first Super Bowl appearance against a “proven Super Bowl winner,” joining Eli

Hey, is Rodgers a "PROVEN WINNER" yet? Who decides these things?

Manning over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII and Drew Brees’ triumph over Peyton and the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

Hines Ward to return in 2011… Ward had a great Super Bowl XLV, but he ain’t used to losing. So Ward, [...]

Greetings everyone. The Fantasy Guru Daily is back for the week. And although we are now entering Super Bowl week, the other 30 teams in the NFL have been active as well. Here is a roundup from some of the top news of the past weekend.

Eagles plan to franchise Vick… This should come as no surprise, but it is nice to have some confirmation on it anyway. With Michael Vick approaching free agency, Philadelphia plans to put the franchise tag on its star QB so it can then listen to trade

The Eagles plan to extend their window on a contract for QB Michael Vick by placing the franchise tag on him.

offers for Kevin Kolb (who can’t be moved until a new CBA is in place), in whom many teams could have interest. But even if the Eagles don’t plan to trade Kolb, it makes sense to place the franchise tag on Vick; he had a fantastic season, but he’s injury prone and started to revert back to some of his troubling old tendencies from his Atlanta days. The Eagles likely want to see more development from him before committing a long-term extension.

Flacco angry about Zorn firing… We’ve heard a [...]

Another weekend, and another couple of interviews for Matt Camp and me on Sirius XM Fantasy Football (11 AM – 2 PM Saturday and Sunday on XM 147/Sirius 211). We broke down the Colts, and fought through some technical difficulties to grab the scoop on the Eagles. Here are some interesting tidbits we got:

Mike Chappell has covered the Colts for the Indianapolis Star since they arrived from Baltimore in 1984:

The big news from the generally quiet Colts this off-season was Peyton Manning’s neck surgery. Peyton has been dealing with neck pain for years, and the surgery seems to have relieved that. Chappell has seen Manning as sharp as ever in workouts and camps, and he raised an interesting point: If the neck pain was affecting Manning’s play, imagine how good he could be after the surgery. Scary.

Manning is also in a contract year, and Chappell confirms what we all know: Peyton is going nowhere. He’s talked to both Manning’s agent and GM Bill Polian, and it appears as if Manning’s new contract is a matter of when, not if. But the Colts very rarely do contracts BEFORE the season. They’ve done deals during the year (a la S Bob Sanders), [...]