The San Francisco 49ers experienced the worst nightmare of every team in the National Football League Wednesday, as wide receiver Michael Crabtree tore his achilles after running a routine passing route during the teams voluntary organized team activities.

According to the Bleacher Report, Crabtree was hurt during a 7-0n-7 passing drill, citing a quote from 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh who said, “He was coming in motion, just planted and started a route and felt like somebody kicked him in Achilles.”

At this point, the only good news about the injury is that because it happened so early in the offseason, Harbaugh and the 49ers have said that the injury should not cost Crabtree the entire 2013 season. Yet, the expected recovery time is estimated at about six months, so he will be missing significant game time.

The injury is particularly disappointing because Crabtree was just starting to come into his own as a top-flight wide receiver. The 49ers drafted him with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and after not quite living up to expectations during his first three seasons, the former Texas Tech product had a breakout season in 2012, catching a career-high 85 passes for 1,105 yards and scoring nine touchdowns.

The injury is even more disappointing from a 49ers perspective because Crabtree and third-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick had started to form a dynamic connection. In fact, Crabtree’s breakout performance in 2012 is largely due to Kaepernick.

In the last 10 games of the season (including playoffs) after the young gunslinger took over for the injured Alex Smith, Crabtree went off, catching 61 passes for 880 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. If we prorate those numbers over the course of a 16-game season, it equals 97 receptions for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns —  that is elite production, which is why Crabtree’s fantasy value had never been higher than it was this offseason.

Crabtree, who finished 15th among wide receivers in point-per-reception formats in 2012, was ranked 16th in our most recent post-NFL draft PPR Fantasy Football Wide Receivers rankings for 2013. Yet the injury certainly knocks him off that pedestal. However, the key question for fantasy owners is not how the injury affects Crabtree’s value going forward —  that is self-explanatory but instead how the injury impacts the value of Kaepernick and the rest of the 49ers.

For starters, the injury to Crabtree definitely hurts Kaepernick, who ranked sixth in our recent post-NFL Draft quarterback rankings. The third-year signal caller from Nevada, threw 14 touchdown passes in his ten games as a starter — 10 of which went to Crabtree. So it’s easy to see why the quarterback’s value is going to take a bit of a hit. At this point, I still believe he is a top-10 quarterback in large part because of his running ability but losing a top wide out is never easy to overcome.

While Kaepernick’s fantasy value is hurt by the injury, it should have a positive impact on the fantasy value of tight end Vernon Davis, as well as wide receivers Anquan Boldin, A.J. Jenkins, Quinton Patton and Mario Manningham, who recovering from a torn ACL.

The biggest beneficiary though should be Davis, who remarkably finished 20th last season in fantasy points among tight ends in PPR leagues. Yet, Tthe biggest reason for Davis’ shocking lack of productivity last season was simply a lack of opportunities. Inexplicably, the 49ers only threw the ball to Davis 61 times last season, an average of fewer than four times a game.

That simply cannot happen with a player as talented as Davis and in my opinion the biggest flaw of Harbaugh as head coach has been his under utilization of Davis, who is as talented a tight end as there is in the NFL.

The fact that Davis was fairly productive with the targets he received makes the situation even more of a head-scratcher.

Despite being limited to just 61 targets (29th among tight ends), the former Maryland  product still caught 41 passes (a 67 percent catch rate) for 548 yards and five touchdowns. Therefore, Davis averaged an impressive 8.9 yards per target, scored a touchdown once every 12 targets and averaged more than two fantasy points per target, which ranked second among tight ends behind Rob Gronkowski’s 2.54 fantasy points per target average.

Now with Crabtree out of the picture likely at least until the middle of the season, it’s time for Harbaugh and the 49ers to feed the beast (Davis). It’s the only way the passing game is going to be anywhere near as effective as it was down the stretch last year. That’s because without Crabtree, the Niners receiving core consists of Boldin, a possession guy at this stage of his career, an unproven second-year man in Jenkins, a rookie in Patton and Manningham, who is coming off a major injury — not exactly a stellar group.

That’s why Harbaugh and the 49ers must make a more concentrated effort on getting the ball to Davis, who could easily be a top-5 fantasy tight end if he was targeted as much as the Gronkowski’s and Jimmy Graham’s of the world.

So while there is plenty that needs to be sorted out among the 49ers wide receivers, one thing fantasy owners should take away from the Crabtree injury is the fact that it could setup Davis for a dominant fantasy season in 2013. As long as Harbaugh and the 49ers coaching staff gets out of their own way and let their most talented pass-catcher do what he does best,  his value should skyrocket.

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We continue on with our early fantasy football rankings. This time we take a look at the 2013 fantasy football team defense landscape.
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1. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks allowed the fewest points last year, yielding just 15.3 points per game. They finished fourth in the league with 306.2 yards per game allowed. Adding Antoine Winfield’s veteran presence to an outstanding secondary anchored by Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas makes this an elite unit. Cliff Avril, who recorded 9.5 sacks last year for the Detroit Lions, gives them even more beef up front.
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2. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished just behind the Seahawks with 17.1 points per game allowed. They ranked third in total defense with 294.4 yards per game allowed. Patrick Willis anchors the defense, while Aldon Smith, who recorded 19.5 sacks last year, is a total menace.
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3. Houston Texans

The Texans took a slight step back defensively last year, but still finished in the top ten in both scoring defense (20.7 ppg) and total defense (323.3 ypg). Their struggles were primarily in pass defense, but the addition of future first ballot Hall of Famer Ed Reed should help. Having a healthy Brian Cushing will also be huge. Oh, and they still have J.J. Watt.
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4. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will miss the leadership of Reed and Ray Lewis, but they reloaded. A clerical error allowed Elvis Dumervil to slip out of the Denver Broncos’ grasp. Baltimore snatched him up to pair with Terrell Suggs, who should be healthy after missing half of the season with an Achilles injury. Michael Huff came over from the Oakland Raiders to soften the blow of Reed’s departure.
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5. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers led the league in total defense with 275.8 yards allowed per game. They ranked sixth in scoring defense (19.6 ppg). Troy Polamalu’s health will be the key to their success or lack thereof.
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6. Denver Broncos

The Broncos will miss Dumervil, but they still have Von Miller terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Denver finished second in total defense (290.8 ypg) and fourth in scoring defense (18.1 ppg).
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7. Chicago Bears

Da Bears finished third in scoring defense (17.3 ppg) and fifth in total defense (315.6 ypg). A lot of their success last year was predicated on their ability to turn turnover into touchdowns. That isn’t something you can bank on every year.
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8. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals finished sixth in total defense (319.7 ypg) and eighth in scoring defense (20.0 ppg). Geno Atkins (12.5 sacks) and Michael Johnson (11.5 sacks) form an underrated one-two punch.
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9. New England Patriots

The Patriots bend (373.3 ypg), but don’t break (20.7 ppg) on defense. Their offense tends to make opposing teams one-dimensional.
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10. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had similar numbers as the Patriots (365.6 ypg, 18.7 ypg), which isn’t surprising since they have a potent offense of their own. They added Osi Umenyiora and rookie Desmond Trufant to bolster their defense.
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Originally Posted on FantasyKnuckleheads.com

T.Y. Hilton should be on everyone’s fantasy football sleeper list in 2013, and today we’re going to discuss just why that is.

A shifty and speedy receiver, T.Y. Hilton convinced many fantasy owners he was a legitimate receiving threat after finishing the 2012 season with 50 receptions for 861 yards and seven touchdowns.

And this was with a rookie QB.

In addition to these stellar achievements, T.Y. Hilton also registered five 100+ yards games in 2012.

But is this enough to simply claim him a “sleeper” candidate?

In the 2012 offseason, the Indianapolis Colts went ahead and scooped up Darrius Heyward-Bey (formerly of Oakland) which suggested the Colts weren’t entirely trustworthy of the young Hilton, despite his accomplishments.

Even now many beat writers are suggesting that both Heyward-Bey and Hilton will split time as the No.2 receiver opposite of Reggie Wayne.

Not only is this impractical, it could potentially be inaccurate.

Information fantasy owners need to know.

Before the acquisition of Heyward-Bey, the Colts only had Hilton and veteran Reggie Wayne as the team’s top receivers, with the under achieving LaVon Brazil as the team’s other main receiver in certain sets.

The notion here is the Colts wanted another receiver to challenge for a role in the starting offense, as well as, an upgrade over LaVon Brazil.

So, they got their man.

Or did they, and can we really assume the young Hilton is better than Heyward-Bey? Wouldn’t DHB (a veteran of sorts)be favored over Hilton as a sleeper?

Perhaps not.

Darrius Heyward-Bey isn’t exactly the most reliable route runner, whereas T.Y. Hilton is.

T.Y. Hilton caught two more TDs over DHB in 2012, and in his first three seasons, DHB totaled just five TDs!

Hilton caught more balls in 2012 (50), posted more yards (861) and a better YPC average (17.2) than Heyward-Bey (41-606, 14.8 AVG).

Clearly, Hilton’s hands are better and his base skill sets are better; two major traits the Colts won’t be able to ignore in 2013.

The only factor left to be determined is who will play where.

DHB is the taller of the two which would suggest the number two role—could this mean an expanded role in the slot for Hilton?

Despite those other whispers of the two receivers splitting time at the outside position when the Colts run their two-wide sets,  a unified agreement is forming that Hilton will be a mainstay in the three-wide sets.

In other words, Hilton is already being projected as an every down receiver and i predict Hilton will command more snaps than DHB in the two-wide sets.

The bottom line here is that T.Y. Hilton is a full blown sleeper candidate.

We can assume he is the true No. 2 receiver in Indianapolis. We can also assume he is going to play more downs, and ultimately see an increase in his targets.

We know he is better than DHB, and we certainly know the kid has nothing but upside that is the product of his natural talent.

Is T.Y. Hilton a 2013 fantasy football sleeper? I can’t see how he’s not!

ADP information provided by (fantasyfootballcalculator.com).

Player Bio and Information:

Age: 23
Current ADP: 7^th Round
Service: Second Year Pro
Potential PPR Value: Above Average
Potential Dynasty Value: Excellent
Final 2012 Stats: 50-860-7 (17.2 YPC) 15 games
Projected 2013 Stats: 70-1,148-9 (16.4 YPC)

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When looking at fantasy football quarterbacks over the past five seasons, few have been more consistent and more productive than New Orleans Saint’s signal caller Drew Brees. Not only has Brees finished among the top two among quarterbacks in fantasy points scored in four of the last five seasons, he’s also thrown for over 5,000 yards in three of his last five seasons.

From 2008-2010, Brees was a damn good fantasy quarterback. He led all quarterback in fantasy points scored in 2008, finished second in 2009 and sixth in 2010. Yet, if none of those seasons did he eclipse 20 fantasy points per game as he averaged 18.7 in 2008, 19.1 in 2009 and 16.5 in 2010.

Yet in 2011, something clicked with Brees, namely the arrival of all-world tight end Jimmy Graham bursting onto the scene — since then, the former second-round pick from Purdue has been lighting up fantasy scoreboards like a pinball machine and becoming one of fantasy football’s can’t miss players.

In 2011, Brees broke the NFL record for passing yards, while also finishing second in fantasy points scored with 389.6 fantasy points, which equated to an average of 24.4 fantasy points per game. Last season, even without head coach Sean Payton calling the plays, Brees still racked up ridiculous numbers, throwing 5,177 yards and totaling 348.6 fantasy points per game, an average of 21.8 fantasy points per game — good enough to rank second among quarterbacks.

When looking at the numbers, it’s easy to see the clear difference that having Graham at tight end has made. After all, over the past two seasons, Brees has connected with the former university of Miami product 184 times for 2,292 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Therefore, when projecting Brees fantasy value for the 2013 season, the continued presence of Graham, along with Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Darren Sproles and Devery Henderson is a key consideration. The Saints are also going to have Payton back calling the plays in 2013, so there is reason to believe the pass offense will at least be as good as it was in 2012, if not even better.

Hopefully for Saints fans the return of Payton means an improved defense and a better running game, which could reduce Brees’ pass attempts slightly in 2013 but after three straight seasons of 650 plus passing attempts, fantasy owners shouldn’t be too worried about a reduction of Brees’ workload.

2013 Projection: I look for the Saints to be an improved football team in 2013 and expect them to be right in the thick of playoff contention. That most certainly means the Saints defense will be better and the running game should be more of a factor. If that’s the case, Brees may not have the sling the ball around the field 50 times to keep New Orleans in the game but trust me, Payton knows who his best player is, so Brees will be throwing the ball plenty again in 2013, regardless. Therefore, fantasy owners should expect another 5,000 yards passing from Brees and at least 40 touchdown passes.

Brees will be one of the true elite fantasy quarterbacks in 2013 and should be among the top-5 in overall fantasy points scored once again this season. That being said though, with the depth of the quarterback positon overall in terms of fantasy football, Brees should not be selected in the first round at this point, he is a much better value if you can get him near the middle of round two.

All fantasy stats are courtesy of four-downs.com

If there is one thing Mike Neal has proven he can do for the Green Bay Packers defense, it’s rush the passer. Now, the Packers may be trying to maximize that ability because on the first day of organized team activities, the fourth-year defender from Purdue was moved from his customary defensive end position to outside linebacker.

Remembering that it is only OTA’s — the move may not mean a whole lot. It could just be the coaching staff doing their due diligence and getting a player some practice reps at a position where he may to have play in a tight spot. Yet, if there ever was a time to experiment with position moves, it’s right now.

Neal came to the Packers with high expectations after he was selected by the team in the second round of the 2010 Draft — but injuries sidetracked the first two years of his career, then a four-game suspension to start last season set him back even further.

Just when things started looking bleak, Neal took advantage of the opportunity given to him by the Packers last season and actually turned into a fairly productive interior pass-rusher for Green Bay, notching 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles on the season.

The Packers list Neal at 6-3, 294 pounds, yet he clearly was not playing at that weight near the end of last season as he was routinely washed out of the play on run downs by bigger, more physical offensive lineman. Because of this he was limited to only playing in passing situations, which could be a reason why the Packers are experimenting with this switch.

It’s not as if the Packers are in desperate need of help at outside linebacker with Clay Matthews, Nick Perry and Dezman Moses in the fold. Yet, there is a lack of proven depth behind those three players and with Perry coming off an injury that limited him to just six games in 2012, Neal could be a solid insurance policy should the injury bug rear it’s ugly head again in 2013.

Here is what Neal had to say to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about playing outside linebacker:

“From my standpoint, I’m a football player,” Neal said. “Coaches ask me to do one thing and that’s what I do. I don’t ask any questions. I just go along with the role they present. So as of right now, if that’s what it is, that’s what it is. I don’t know plans going down the future. I don’t know what’s going on tomorrow. I just know this is where I lined up today. I’m just lining up where they tell me to.”

Neal also talked about his ability to stand up and deal with some of the things required of an outside linebacker like is he comfortable dropping back into coverage:

“No, but I’m comfortable with my athletic ability,” Neal said. “I do believe our defensive linemen, not only do I have defensive linemen skills, but as far as being athletic, I can do that. Even if it’s dropping into coverage, I’ve never doubted my athletic abilities. I feel a lot more agile than I have in the past, a lot more confident in myself.”

At this point, projecting Neal to outside linebacker is a ways off, the Packers need to see what they have in Datone Jones and how Mike Daniels develops in year two before anything should be set in stone. Yet, it sure is an interesting development, which is why we should all pay attention to OTA’s, no matter how boring and irrelevant they may seem.

The clock has tick tocked itself out and the Jeopardy theme has long since run its course, yet restricted free agent (RFA) Victor Cruz remains unsigned. And although numerous reports recently suggested the ongoing negotiations were nearing their end, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said on Tuesday that talks continue and the process is “just taking its time.” No kidding.

“We’re talking. Tom Condon is talking to Jerry [Reese] and I’m personally confident that Victor wants to be a Giant, will be a Giant,” Tisch said on his way into the NFL spring meeting. “He’s a great guy. It’s just taking its time.”

Late last week, the New York Post reported that the negotiations were on the “2-yard line,” but leave it to the Giants to fail to punch it into the end zone — after all, they seem to struggle mightily in short yardage situations.

The good news is that Cruz recently lowered his contract demands, which put both sides within striking distance of a new deal. What the remaining holdup is however, is anyone’s guess.

In the mean time, there are sure to be at least 20 more reports suggesting a deal is close, with 20 others suggesting nothing is imminent. But, at the end of the day (royalties to Antrel Rolle), the words of former Giants General Manager George Young reign true: “There is no almost. There is only done and not done.”

Right now, things are not done.

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The chemistry between a head coach and quarterback is very important in the NFL. As we all know, the Arizona Cardinals have a new head coach in Bruce Arians and a new starting quarterback in veteran Carson Palmer.

Now that the first week of OTAs have been completed, things seem to be going quite well so far as Palmer digests Arians’ offense and Arians watches Palmer gets used to his new teammates.

The Red Birds welcome the change at quarterback after a disastrous season at the position a year ago. It was a regular merry-go-round at QB in 2012 and it’s nice to see the steady hand of Palmer guiding his offensive mates through their drills.

Consider this: the USC product threw for 4,018 yards and completed 61 percent of his passes for a 4-12 Oakland Raiders contingent last season. He added 22 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions and did not have the benefit of having a top-flight wide receiver in the huddle like he will this season with All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald.

“What he did last year with the Raiders, in a crazy situation, I thought was very, very impressive,” Arians told azcardinals.com.

With wide out talents like Fitzgerald, second-year pro Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts in the fold, Palmer should do quite well if his offensive line holds up. The Cardinals allowed a league-high 58 sacks last season but with the addition of first-round pick Jonathan Cooper at guard, should be much improved in 2013.

Training camp is still over two months away so there are a lot more practices and film study to participate in. However, it looks like Palmer and company have gotten off to a good start as the Red Birds try and erase the memory of last year’s disappointing campaign.

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Talk about skyrocketing value. Jordan Cameron’s ADP and trade value have ballooned over the last few weeks. He’s gone from a player commonly ranked around the 20th to 25th tight end to a guy comfortably slated in the 10th to 15th range. The rise is mostly due to recent comments from the Browns’ coaching staff that have led fantasy owners to speculate about Cameron’s ceiling given his athletic ability, as well the Browns’ new offensive scheme under head coach Rob Chudzinski.

Specifically, Coach Chudzinski recently spoke about the Browns’ new offense stating, “This is an offense that has featured tight ends and tight ends have always been a big part of it. [Cameron] has the skill set that fits.”

The offensive scheme that both Chudzinski and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner run is very favorable to tight ends. Historically, it highlighted the skills and facilitated premium production from players like Tony Gonzalez, Greg Olsen, Kellen Winslow and Antonio Gates.

Based on this, Cameron’s situation and fantasy prospects are trending upward.  The rise in value doesn’t come without its skeptics, though. Some suggest to cash in on an “inflated” value speculating that Cameron is not likely to meet lofty expectations. I believe he’s worth every bit of the price he currently commands and may even still be a bargain given his upside.

Here’s why:

The Continued Hybrid Tight End Trend

Thanks to the likes of Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski, pass catching tight ends continue to become fixtures of NFL offenses. A wide receiver in a tight end’s body is gold. The ability to create mismatches across the middle against linebackers who are unable to keep up and safeties who can’t compete from a size perspective is invaluable – it creates another dimension for teams. Offenses continue to exploit this and, in turn, this type of player is a prime target for dynasty owners.

In particular, tight ends with a basketball background are the best candidates to fit the mold of a ‘move tight-end’ given their natural explosiveness and size/speed combination. Cameron is just that. He’s a former college basketball player who is extremely athletic. Given his background and ability, he’s a solid candidate to follow in the path of other former basketball players like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham within this offense.

Athleticism / Measurables

Cameron has all the measurables to succeed as a pass catching tight end. With the aforementioned basketball background, he possesses the athleticism and explosiveness required. In particular, his numbers compare favorably to some of the more athletic tight ends in NFL history:

Note (1): The above is based on combine/pro day performances. However, the information for Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates is not readily available and not included.

There are a few things to highlight in the above:

• Other than Graham, Cameron is the most explosive (broad / vertical)
• Cameron is the fastest (40 time)
• Cameron exhibited the most agility/quickness (3 cone)
• Cameron most closely compares to Graham, Gronkowski, and Rudolph from a size perspective
• Cameron’s numbers compare favorably to Gronkowski’s and Rudolph’s

Cameron’s measurables are there and are a positive indicator given the above comparison.

Opportunity

Cameron also has an opportunity for significant snaps in 2013 after the Browns decided not to add a significant tight end via the NFL Draft or free agency. The speculation throughout the off-season was they would, but the only competition added was Kellen Davis and Gary Barnidge. While Barnidge played with Chudzinski in Carolina last season suggesting he may favor his skills, the lack of meaningful adds at tight end is sign of confidence in Cameron for 2013.

Tight End Friendly Offense                 

As mentioned earlier, the Browns’ new offense is extremely favorable to tight ends. Specifically, the offensive scheme is a vertical offense that feeds off of the tight end working the middle of the field via seam and crossing routes. These are perfect routes for a hybrid tight end to exploit.

Here is the historical tight end production under Chudzinski/Turner with this scheme:

* For seasons with less than 16 games, attempts in games the player participated in were used.

It’s apparent the tight end in this offense receives roughly 20% of the team’s targets (if not more) – that’s a staggering number in the context of the entire league. In 2012, only four tight ends breached the 20% threshold (Graham, Jason Witten, Greg Olsen, and Gonzalez). The average across the league was 15% with 22% being the maximum. In addition, all the listed players above finished within the top eight tight ends for fantasy purposes in both average points per game and total points.

With Cameron set to be a starter, it’s reasonable to expect a high volume of targets and catches meaning significant potential beginning in 2013.

2013 Projection

In the interest of evaluating what the direct implications of the above may be to Cameron in 2013, let’s sketch out a rough projection. Based on the above, assuming 20% of the team’s targets and making conservative assumptions here is where we can expect:

Overal Team Pass Attempts: 550 attempts

Targets: 110 targets

Catches: 66 receptions

Yards: 726 yards

TD: 4

Fantasy Points: 163

2012 Fantasy Finish: Top 12 in PPG and total points

Note the following assumptions:

• Pass attempts are based on the average pass attempts for NFL teams in 2012. This is also consistent with the Browns’ attempts of 566 in 2012.
• Catch % assumed is 60%. This is consistent with Cameron’s 65% in 2012
• YPC assumed to be 11 yards which is consistent with Cameron’s 2012 performance, but lower than the YPC typically for tight ends in this offensive scheme

If his targets reach 25%, we could be looking at a top seven finish on a PPG basis with over 900 yards receiving. That leaves a range of roughly 65 to 80 receptions and 725 to 900 yards receiving.

Given the conservative assumptions in the above, it would appear that a top 12 finish is a baseline for Cameron in 2013. There is tremendous potential here.

Summary

While some suggest that there is pure hype surrounding Cameron, given the historical performance of tight ends in this scheme, as well as Cameron’s athletic ability, he is worth the price.

It’s not a stretch to suggest he’ll finish in the top ten in 2013.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveWyremski

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New York Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck has vowed to return to his All Pro level in 2013 and it has already become abundantly clear that he’s not just blowing smoke. He’s worked relentlessly throughout the offseason and expects that to wear off on his teammates and the new rookies.

Shortly after being drafted in the third-round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Damontre Moore was promptly met with a note from Tuck that simply read “hope you are ready to work.”

The message wasn’t meant as a joke or a gag; Tuck is extremely serious about the upcoming season and he expects the rookies, who he feels are the weak link right now, to familiarize themselves with the team, the schemes and their jobs. On top of that, he expects them to work just as hard as he’s working.

“They need to know that this year has to be our best year,” Tuck said. “I don’t want to call them our weakest link but they are the new guys so they don’t know our system, how we get down. So right now they are our weakest link and you are only as strong as your weakest link.”

Moore was quick to admit that his practice habits were less than stellar, but Tuck’s note made it immediately clear that will not fly in New York. Accordingly, Moore has vowed to make his weakness a strength — something that will make Tuck and head coach Tom Coughlin very happy people.

Of course, this hard work has less to do with hazing rookies than it does getting back to where Tuck feels the Giants need to be.

“I want those guys to come in with the attitude knowing that this year is all about working,” Tuck said. “It is not about what we have done or haven’t done. It is a brand new year and instill in them early that this team is going to work our ass off to get back to where we feel we should be — a consistent football team that makes the playoffs and wins the last game.”

The motivation, determination and projected grind have not scared off any of the rookies, who have all agreed with Tuck, claiming they’re ready for a long summer.

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After a below average year on special teams in 2012, the Raiders acknowledged the issue this offseason. General manager Reggie McKenzie has brought in return man Josh Cribbs and punter Chris Kluwe to improve the unit. These additions along with the return of Jacoby Ford should provide an immediate upgrade to last season’s stagnant special team’s play.

Cribbs has the potential to make the greatest impact. His eight kickoff return touchdowns and three punt return touchdowns put him in the conversation as one of the best return men in the NFL. Last season the Raiders were forced to settle for average returning after Ford was lost for the season with a foot injury. His replacements combined for no touchdown returns and rarely impacted the game with field position. Now Ford and Cribbs, who have combined for 15 return touchdowns, have the opportunity for game changing plays on special teams. The Raiders offense will be a question mark heading into next season, so if Cribbs and Ford can provide a spark in the return game it helps them immensly.

It was a difficult decision for the Raiders to let Shane Lechler walk in free agency this offseason to the Houston Texans. He provided the team with 13 stellar years as one of the best punters the NFL has ever seen. Twice he averaged over 50 yards per punt in his career. Now the Raiders pass the torch to Kluwe and Marquette King. King showed his big leg in the preseason a year ago. Kluwe punted for eight years for the Minnesota Vikings and 44.4 career average. Whoever comes out on top of the punting competition this offseason, the Raiders can be confident with the result.

Sebastian Janikowski remains in the argument as the best kicker in the NFL today. Over the last two seasons, he has made 62 of 69 fields including an NFL record tying blast from 63 yards out. The former first round pick has provided the Raiders with confidence that they can get three points once they cross the opponents’ 40 yard line.

With the additions of Cribbs and Kluwe to pair with Janikowski, the Raiders specials teams took a step forward this offseason. Often overlooked, special teams play impacts the game and the Raiders bolstered it for the 2013 campaign.

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