Top fantasy running backs are a commodity, but Jason Smith says they’re not one that you should gut your roster to get.

Last week, we told you that five quarterbacks, after two weeks, were on pace to shatter Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards record. Well, now that three games are in the books, there still are five passers on pace to beat that mark.

Every year, it seems, there’s a quarterback who makes a run at Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a single season. After two Sunday’s of the 2011 campaign, it appears there might be a few guys capable of threatening the mark.

Tony Softli, a former personnel executive for the Rams, said on the latest Cover Two Podcast that RB Steven Jackson‘s quadriceps injury will keep him from playing in Monday night’s game against the Giants, according to a team source.

At this late stage of the week, you have surely heard about every story line centered around quarterbacks, star skill players, loud talkers and frequent Tweeters. But there are 11 players on either side matching up on any given play. Below we list five matchups that, based on tape study, we are interested in seeing play out in Week 1

With 11 days until the 2011 NFL season kicks off, we will take a closer look at the 11 400-yard passing games from the 2010 season.

Did you have any issues with Michael Lombardi‘s blue-chip and red-chip rankings of the best players at each position? If you did, you weren’t alone. Watch this clip of Heath Evans and Antwaan Randle El attacking Lombardi for his take on Philip Rivers.

Monday’s NFL supplemental draft is one of the most interesting “mini” drafts of recent memory, and NFL.com will have full coverage, including NFL Network reporter Albert Breer live from Terrelle Pryor‘s draft party.

Regardless of the era, the San Diego Chargers always seem to put an explosive offense on the field. And receiver Vincent Jackson has been a big part of the current edition.

Browns Pro Bowl WR/KR Josh Cribbs was one of many NFL players taking to the airwaves Thursday, urging fans to be patient and revealing some of the issues still in dispute between owners and players. “Things (remaining to be solved) as far as health care for retired players, pads during practice and how long can two-a-days go,” Cribbs said on NFL Network. “This is a 10-year deal. We can’t enter into it lightly. So fans have to understand that until we can completely dissect the CBA, we can’t go forward. “We hate that it’s being put out there that the lockout is over when the reality is that we’ve just made significant progress. We don’t want the fans to look […]

Antonio Gates is already one of the best offensive tight ends in the history of the league, but did the players get it wrong by ranking him ahead of the man responsible for getting him the ball?

Lions QB Matt Stafford has reportedly worked hard this offseason to strengthen his upper body. If he stays healthy, you can expect a monster season.

Looking for a breakout fantasy running back in 2011? According to Jets OC Brian Schottenheimer, you should look no further than Shonn Greene.

Dave Dameshek will try to be objective despite his Steelers bias, because he is outraged – outraged! – that Ben Roethlisberger showed up Sunday night on NFL Network’s “The Top 100 Players of 2011″ at No. 41. That’s way too low, Dameshek says, and he makes his case in this short bonus podcast.

What makes a quarterback great? Determining the criteria to rate the upper echelon of players at any position is always difficult, especially for the offense’s front man, who has such a large effect on the outcome of a game. One determining factor of the worthiness of the NFL’s highest-paid players is their ability in the clutch.