Champeons: 7-7

One of the league's most active owners in the trade market made a nice stretch of trades at the end of 2006 to set up a high-upside keeper group. The lineup:

Daunte Culpepper
Julius Jones
Frank Gore
Terrell Owens
Andre Johnson

It seems silly now to think how close Champ was to keeping Cedric Benson over Frank Gore- but at the time it must have been an agonizing decision. Gore was by far the right choice and is now a top-5 running back. Terrell Owens and Andre Johnson led all WRs in Touchdowns and Receptions, resp. stabilizing CHM as one of the best WR corps in the league. That was the good.

Julius Jones never really got it going this season, not with Bill Parcells' erection over Marion Barber III. And that was the bad.

Daunte Culpepper. That was the cataclysmic.

With the shaky Culpepper in place as the team's signal caller, logic would dictate that Brent Whitlock go for a solid QB option early. That didn't happen, and the position was in flux all season long. Here's a look back at the draft:

Round 1: Corey Dillon
Round 2a: Laurence Maroney
Round 2b: Joseph Addai
Round 3: Lee Evans
Round 4: Eddie Kennison
Round 5: Randy McMichael
Round 6: Vernon Davis
Round 7: Steve McNair
Round 8: Brian Urlacher
Round 9: John Kasay
Round 10: Jonathon Vilma
Round 11: Jeremiah Trotter
Round 12: Cedric Houston
Round 13: Lance Briggs
Round 14: Jerry Porter

The first three rounds went almost perfectly for the Champeon. Dillon was able to perform for brief stretches this season, though never confidently enough to be placed in the lineup regularly. Round 2 Champ hit out of the park. I mean, way out. Both rookie RBs in round 2 were able to contribute at times this season, but they also represented valuable keeper possibilities and heavy trade bait. It got worse, like so many things do, when Eddie Kennison got involved, but was still a solid draft.

The season itself started luckily for Champ, winning his first two games despite averaging 93.75 points. After a week three thrashing from Fresh Legs, CHM came out and decked Cellar Dwellers, notching 129.50 points. At 3-1 with a healthy supply of points, things were set up early for Champ to make his first playoff appearance.

Despite alternating between the likes of Damon Huard and Chad Pennington at QB, Champ went on alternating wins and losses for seven weeks. After a two game losing streak (his first such streak of the year) Whitlock dialed in for the stretch run.

After annihilating a depleted Slumpbusters squad that stopped caring in June, Champ exploded for 166.25 points in week 12, besting Baron's 130.50 and putting his team one win from a playoff berth. Two transactions, his most notable of the year, hurt Champ both this season and next.

-Before a week 13 tilt with lowly CD, Brent scooped up Shawne Merriman off the wire, and off of his steroid suspension.
-Before his week 14 battle with Madd Skillz, Champ dealt off Laurence Maroney for Tatum Bell and Roy Williams.

The Merriman pickup wasn't bad in terms of numbers and production- but the karmic backlash was evident. And as far as the trade, Maroney's value was at it's lowest point, and the QB situation was still dreadful. In addition to not getting a QB, or dealing him off at his peak value, the deal netted an inconsistent Bell who took the place of Julius Jones in the lineup and an inconsistent Williams who took the place of Lee Evans. Both newly benched players would outscore the newly acquired players in the pivotal week 14 showdown.

Despite needing just one win to get in, the Champeons fell in both their final games, missing the playoffs despite the #3 point total in the league. A crushing loss that would be not only matched but surpassed on February 4th. RIP, Chico.

Despite Maroney's departure the future is still bright in Champland, though there are some more agonizing keeper decisions to be made. Frank Gore and Joseph Addai are locks to be kept, as is Andre Johnson. Assuming Terrell Owens has a team, he'll be back too. Then, the final spot is up for grabs between Julius Jones (who has a new regime in Dallas) Lee Evans (quietly a stud) and Roy Williams (very vocal stud). Jeremy Shockey may be in the mix as well as it took a 4th rounder to bring him over. After the success of the 2006 draft, it's a no-brainer that Champ will be interesting until at least the season's final week again next year.