2011 Sirius XM Celebrity Fantasy Football Draft Recap: Exclusive Interviews & Draft Results!
David Diehl, offensive lineman for the New York Giants
TFF: What are your thoughts on the lockout? How did you feel when you heard it was over?
DD: “There was way too much free time on my hands!” Diehl joked. “But in the end we’re going back to what we love and what we do best. Tomorrow I’ll head to work looking to immediately start playing with a Super Bowl contending team, and to us, last season’s 10-6 record was a bit disappointing, so looking ahead we have to focus and set our sights high. The lockout was truly the nature of the beast in the NFL.”
TFF: What will your role be with the team entering the season? How are you feeling as you prepare for the preseason?
DD: “I really don’t know what my exact role will be. I’m the longest tenured Giant, going into my 9th year on the team, so I’m really one of the veterans on the roster. Pat Flaherty does a great job putting the best players on the field, and Coach Coughlin allows the older, experienced guys take charge and help out the younger players on the team. Basically, I think I’ll be able to lead vocally and by example, so experience is definitely helpful in determining my role.”
TFF: Any thoughts on Plaxico Burress? Would you like to have him as a teammate again?
DD: “Without a doubt I’d want Plax on the team. He got us to the Super Bowl in 2008, he opens up the run game and really makes any team he’s on better on offense. He never caused any drama in the locker room too, and ultimately his decisions affect him the most, and not the team.”
Rich Gannon, former NFL quarterback, 2002 NFL MVP
TFF: Which New York team do you see going further this season?
RG: “Wow… tough question! Honestly, I will say the Jets. With that defense on the field each game it’s going to be really hard for opposing offenses to get points on the board. Their offense as well is great. Tom Moore is a good addition to the Jets staff, but one area the offense needs to develop is 3rd downs and red-zone action. If Sanchez can find his groove in those two areas, they’ll be dangerous.”
TFF: What quarterback could you see having a really nice breakout year this season?
RG: “I think Josh Freeman on Tampa Bay has a real nice shot of building off of his stellar season. He almost reminds me of a young Big Ben Roethlisberger, and there seems to be a trend in the NFL with strong QB’s really progressing from year one to year two. And his numbers last season, 25 touchdowns and six picks, that’s hard to ignore.”
Steve Phillips, former General Manager of the New York Mets
TFF: Do you have any draft strategies for this year? Any first round guys you are targeting?
SP: “Well I have the 4th overall pick, and I’m planning on going running backs early. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to select Mike Vick or Aaron Rodgers on the turnaround, so running backs early is my initial plan.”
TFF: What recent news of player signings and trades has really caught your attention so far?
SP: “First, Santonio Holmes re-signing with the Jets is huge. He’s just a dynamic receiver that can make game-changing plays every week. Another story that popped out was Sidney Rice and Seattle. Here’s a guy that scored a bunch of TD’s for the team, but an iffy QB situation may hold him back a bit. And third, maybe one of the biggest, is Reggie Bush’s move to Miami. In terms of fantasy, Bush can be a real nice mid-to-late pick. Miami will probably use him in several different ways, so Bush has great potential to get yards and score too.”
Jay Thomas, Emmy Award-winning actor, SiriusXM radio host
TFF: What players who have changed teams interest you the most?
JT: “I think Kevin Kolb in Arizona is quite interesting. Now, Larry Fitzgerald has a legitimate quarterback to work with, but it’s definitely going to take time to develop that chemistry between them. He has to learn all the new Cardinal terminology, and a new quarterback does in fact take time to learn the style of each of his offensive counterparts.”
TFF: What kind of impact do you think the lockout will have on the season, if any?
JT: “You know one thing I predict is that we’re going to have a lot more guys playing with a lot more, new people. The strike is going to force all these players to give their best in the first few weeks. I mean getting this late of a start to working out and practicing is certainly different than the typical off-season, so not only is the learning process different, especially for rookies, but guys will need to be mentally ready to go out there and play as well.”
There were truly some amazing fantasy football discussions buzzing around the Hard Rock Café last week. With David Diehl’s inside information on the Giants and Plaxico Burress’ future in the league, and fanatic radio hosts like Jay Thomas and Steve Phillips, it is certainly safe to say that everyone is excited and getting ready for another year of football.
Stay tuned for The Fantasy Fix draft guide with rankings, scouting reports, forecasts and more!
1st Pick: Scott Ferrall
A. Foster (1), P. Manning (24), DeSean Jackson (25), Shonn Green (48), D. Clark (49)
2nd Pick: The Miz
A. Peterson (2), T. Brady (23), M. Wallace (26), M. Colston (47), V. Davis (50)
3rd Pick: Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate
C. Johnson (3), G. Jennings (22), R. Wayne (27), DeAng Williams (46), B. Roethlisberger (51)
4th Pick: Steve Phillips
J. Charles (4), P. Hillis (21), P. Rivers (28), W. Welker (45), B. Lloyd (52)
5th Pick: David Diehl
M. Jones-Drew (5), H. Nicks (20), Miles Austin (29), T. Romo (44), M. Ingram (53)
6th Pick: Steve Kovino and Rich Davis
M. Vick (6), L. Fitzgerald (19), L. Blount (30), B. Marshall (43), P. Harvin (54)
7th Pick: Scott Engel
L. McCoy (7), R. White (18), R. Matthews (31), D. Bryant (42), Steve Johnson (55)
8th Pick: Jerry Cantrell
R. Rice (8), M. Turner (17), D. Bowe (32), J. Maclin (41), A. Boldin (56)
9th Pick: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo
R. Mendenhall (9), S. Jackson (16), M. Schaub (33), V. Jackson (40), J. Finley (57)
10th Pick: Jay Thomas
D. Brees (10), D. McFadden (15), M. Forte (34), S. Holmes (39), B.J. Green-Ellis (58)
11th Pick: John Hansen
Calvin Johnson (11), A. Rodgers (14), A. Gates (35), Mike Williams (38), Daniel Thomas (59)
12th Pick: Pilar Lastra–
Andre Johnson (12), F. Gore (13), J. Witten (36), A. Bradshaw (37), E. Manning (60)
Steal of the draft: DeAngelo Williams (46) in the 4th round by Gary Dell’Abate
Reach of the draft: Ryan Matthews (31) in the 3rd round by Scott Engel
Fan favorite of the draft: David Diehl’s 3rd and 4th round picks of division rivals Miles Austin and Tony Romo consecutively
Written by Tyler Becker exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com.
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