29 days to Camp: Bears have more than $17 million in cap room

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/07/29_days_to_camp_bears_have_mor.html

Breakout/Undervalued Players For 2009

Here is my first take at a list of breakout or undervalued players for 2009.

Quarterback

Matt Ryan/Atlanta Falcons - After posting a decent 17 TD passes as a rookie, the second-year pro will now have the best tight in the NFL to throw to this season. Lets face it, the missing factor for this offense was at the tight end position. Now with Tony Gonzalez in the fold, it will be very hard for defenses to key on any one facet of Atlanta's offense. Ryan should be a pretty good value for fantasy owners in the middle rounds and you can get him as your starter there.

Running Back

Pierre Thomas/New Orleans Saints - Thomas was a big surprise for the Saints last season considering his role wasn't clearly defined coming into the season. However, once veteran RB Deuce McAllister's role was reduced and Reggie Bush started struggling with knee problems, Thomas saw an increased role. While handling just under 9 carries/game, he posted a very solid 4.8 yards per carry average to go along with a whopping 12 combined TDs (9 rushing/3 receiving). McAllister is gone and Bush is coming off of major knee surgery, so Thomas should post at least 12-15 touches/game this season. That makes him a breakout candidate for 2009.

Jonathan Stewart/Carolina Panthers - The Panthers drafted him to be the main ball carrier, but Stewart dealt with a nagging toe problem last season which limited his effectiveness. Now 100 percent, he should give veteran RB DeAngelo Williams a run in training camp to be the team's main back. Stewart is being drafted close to the middle rounds and you can steal him as your third RB.

Wide Receiver

Anthony Gonzalez/Indianapolis Colts - With veteran WR Marvin Harrison released, Gonzalez will now be a starter. Gonzalez posted very solid numbers last season (57/664/4) despite only starting two games. He clearly has the trust of Peyton Manning and his role should increase this season. But keep an eye on the rookie drafted this year.

Devin Hester/Chicago Bears - Hester made the full conversion to receiver last season and posted decent numbers (51-665-3) and started eight games. He'll essentially be their top receiver this season and he'll now have one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks in Jay Cutler throwing to him. Expect Hester's yards per catch to grow this season as well as his TD numbers. He's looking like a solid #3 WR with upside.

Donnie Avery/St. Louis Rams - Avery was one of the biggest surprise rookie receivers last season, but faded down the stretch. The good thing is he'll work with the first-team offense all off-season and will be expected to be their top receiver this season. He has excellent upside for fantasy owners in the second half of drafts.

Miles Austin/Dallas Cowboys - With the release of Terrell Owens, a starting job has opened up opposite Roy Williams. The expectation is that Austin, who has good size and speed, will win it. Austin, if he starts, will be expected to be the third passing option and that carries good late round value for depth or better.

Tight End

John Carlson/Seattle Seahawks - He had a very underrated rookie season (55-627-5) last year. Carlson's role will expand this season with starting QB Matt Hasselbeck in the lineup. While the team added T.J. Housh, Carlson should still be no worse than their third passing option, and he might even be the second–especially in the red zone area. He's worth drafting as your starter and you can get him in rounds 9-10.

Greg Olsen/Chicago Bears - With no true second passing option at this point, Olsen's role should expand this season. With Jay Cutler throwing to him, Olsen should approach 60 receptions or more this season (he posted 54 last season).

Brent Celek/Philadelphia Eagles - The coaching staff, after reviewing last year's game tape, believes Celek is going to be their starting tight end this season. Celek's impressive post-season run (19-151-3) opened a lot of eyes and the team believes his role will expand this season. He's worth taking a shot on late in your draft as a low-end starter.

2009 QB Projections

 

#	Player	TM	Att	Comp	Yds	TD	INT	Ru Yds	Ru TD	FF Pts
1	Tom Brady	NE	540	370	4390	41	11	45	0	377
2	Peyton Manning	IND	555	400	4450	39	12	40	1	376.5
3	Drew Brees	NO	590	375	4400	39	14	50	1	373
4	Aaron Rodgers	GB	525	335	3900	32	16	170	1	330
5	Kurt Warner	AZ	550	380	4250	29	16	25	1	321
6	Tony Romo	DAL	590	378	4200	27	14	165	0	320.5
7	Philip Rivers	SD	500	320	4125	28	12	80	0	314.25
8	Matt Ryan	ATL	470	260	3500	25	13	388	2	312.8
9	Donovan McNabb	PHI	535	340	3800	29	15	150	1	312
10	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	410	275	3630	30	12	100	2	311.5
11	Matt Schaub	HOU	530	360	4150	27	14	95	0	311
12	Carson Palmer	CIN	550	340	3800	28	13	100	2	311
13	Jay Cutler	CHI	575	373	4100	28	16	25	0	303.5
14	Matt Cassel	KC	500	310	3625	25	14	280	1	301.25
15	Matt Hasselbeck	SEA	570	340	3922	24	12	40	1	290.1
16	Sage Rosenfels	MIN	580	301	3703	24	14	100	0	277.15
17	Marc Bulger	STL	435	265	3250	26	13	55	0	259
18	Joe Flacco	BAL	470	300	3400	19	12	190	1	259
19	Eli Manning	NYG	472	299	3450	23	11	25	0	256
20	Chad Pennington	MIA	469	320	3590	19	9	65	0	253
21	Trent Edwards	BUF	470	292	3110	24	13	135	0	252
22	Kyle Orton	DEN	480	310	3490	19	15	160	0	251.5
23	David Garrard	JAC	455	270	3000	17	14	311	1	241.1
24	Brady Quinn	CLE	465	260	3350	19	14	112	0	240.7
25	Jake Delhomme	CAR	400	232	3105	23	14	25	0	235.75
26	Mark Sanchez	NYJ	290	265	3300	17	14	100	1	235
27	Luke McCown	TB	475	290	3010	16	8	200	1	232.5
28	Shaun Hill	SF	455	280	3100	19	12	60	0	225
29	Kerry Collins	TEN	325	230	3100	19	15	80	0	224
30	JaMarcus Russell	OAK	375	208	2650	16	10	135	1	206