subject: Cleveland Browns Tickets - Delhomme Gives The Browns Legitimacy [print this page] Ok, so Jake Delhomme isn't exactly Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. But even though Delhomme won't be mistaken for a top-tier quarterback in many circles, he's also a veteran familiar enough with the position to get the Browns passing attack on target. Here's how the offense breaks down in terms of fantasy football viability.
Jerome Harrison, Running Back:
Let's be honest; nobody knew who Jerome Harrison was heading into the 2009 NFL season. Actually, not many people knew who he was prior to his explosion in weeks 15, 16 and 17. In the NFL, however, all it takes is one little run to get the attention of the league and Harrison certainly had his moment in the sun at the end of the season.
In the final three weeks of 2009, Harrison averaged 187 yards rushing and 1.7 touchdowns, making him a beast in fantasy playoff matchups in the process. Even more impressive is that Harrison surpassed 120 yards rushing in all four games that he had at least 20 carries. The Browns also won each of the games in which they featured Harrison down the stretch, which should guarantee that he will get his chances to tote the rock in 2010 as well. Harrison hasn't done it long enough to be a top fantasy option, but he's also a guy with some upside for the 2010 season and would be a nice back to snag in the middle rounds.
Massaquoi isn't exactly a marquee name, but he's the best receiver the Browns have. Last year, Massaquoi was actually a pretty good deep threat in his rookie season, averaging 18.4 yards per catch for the year and putting up 624 yards receiving. Having a proven starter in Delhomme at quarterback will help with Massaquoi's development in his second season and the two should be able to connect on some deep plays. Even with a bit of upside, however, Massaquoi is still a risk, though he might be able to be snagged for good value late in the draft.
Projection: 52 catches, 820 yards, four touchdowns.
Jake Delhomme, Quarterback:
Even though Delhomme won't sell Cleveland Browns tickets by the boatload, he's still a decent quarterback who can be a stabilizer on an otherwise erratic offense. Delhomme should have a decent backfield anchored by Jerome Harrison backing him up, which should help with play-action passes and throwing the ball down the field. You shouldn't be convinced into thinking that Delhomme will return to his 2004 form, when he threw for 29 touchdowns, but Delhomme could be a nice backup in deeper leagues.
Watson's production has never quite matched his talent, and that doesn't seem likely to change in 2010. However, Delhomme doesn't have a lot of other options to throw the ball to and my guess is that he'll find a comfort zone in hitting Watson, particularly in red zone and short-yardage situations. In New England, Tom Brady also prefers to throw balls down the field or to Wes Welker if he has to dump it off, which is why Watson's less-than-stellar production with the Pats can be misleading. Someone has to catch the touchdown passes this year for the Browns and it's just as likely to be Watson as anyone else, if not more so.
Projection: 41 catches, 450 yards, five touchdowns.
