Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

That all makes sense, because the Cardinals would be crazy to trot out five quarterbacks on their roster next season. Skelton is definitely the “odd-man out”, because he is the least talented of those QBs. The 25-year-old Fordham product is better than Ryan Lindley, but the Cardinals are likely more willing to get rid of the strong-armed Skelton since Lindley had just one year under his belt.

It would also make sense to release both players, because the Cards would only need to carry three QBs going forward. The only issue is that they wouldn’t have a young QB to develop, but they could just draft a QB in the future if that’s something they really wanted to do.

Skelton had an awful QB Rating of 55.4 last season, and it’s time to move on from him. He would be their fourth-best QB behind Palmer, Hoyer, and Stanton, and he was also drafted by the previous regime. The Cardinals just re-signed Hoyer (above heavy interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers), and Bruce Arians handpicked Stanton from his previous spot with the Indianapolis Colts to be his backup. Those two aren’t going anywhere, but Skelton most likely will be released.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.

Oct 9, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton (19) sits with quarterback Richard Bartel (2) on the bench in the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

It appears that the John Skelton experiment in Arizona may be over.

In the first half against the Atlanta Falcons, Skelton completed just two of seven passes for six yards. The Cardinals offenses received numerous gifts in the first quarter thanks to three interceptions by the Falcons, but they turned the opportunities into a mere 13 points.

With Skelton on the bench, rookie Ryan Lindley gets the call.

The rookie signal caller out of San Diego State was a sixth-round pick for the Cardinals. We’ll have to see if Lindley has any better luck under center.

July 31, 2012; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end James Hanna (84) catches a pass during training camp drills. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Need help with preparing for your fantasy football league? The Fantasy Guru is here once again to give you a few tips on how to play the crazy game of fantasy football.

With fantasy football draft season well underway, I thought I’d share with you one of the traditions of my favorite league. In this league we have a slow offline draft and the last pick of that draft is always affectionately known by the same name as it has in the NFL Draft – Mr Irrelevant.

Every year, I traditionally own the Mr Irrelevant pick and have come up with some very elaborate rules for it. Like the NFL Draft, the pick is always a rookie and just like the NFL Draft it is always a long shot. A warning to all those in standard 10 and 12 team leagues – these are players you probably shouldn’t draft but who you may find on your team at some stage. Also, any player who was in my Top 150 isn’t eligible for this list.

For all of you in deep leagues, here’s my top 10 list of my potential Mr Irrelevant picks this year.

• 10. Marvin McNutt, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

McNutt was selected by the Eagles with the 194th pick out of the University of Iowa.

The 6 foot 3 wideout was a surprise faller in the draft and at the moment is fighting to take the WR3 job from Jason Avant while incumbent Riley Cooper is out with a broken collarbone. There’s no guarantee that McNutt makes the Eagles 53 man roster but if he does he may make a headline play or two.

• 9. Dan Herron, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Herron was selected by the Bengals with the 191st pick out of Ohio State University.

When the Bengals originally drafted Dan Herron, he was one of my favorite sleeper picks for fantasy as Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard have done nothing with their opportunities in previous years. This is why we keep an eye on training camp. Herron has struggled with injury and ultimately failed to impress. There is the possibility that Herron gets cut despite being well liked as very talented as a runner. Even if he is fails to make the Bengals I expect he’d catch on somewhere else and get a shot to prove himself.

• 8. Ryan Lindley, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Lindley was selected by the Cardinals with the 185th pick out of San Diego State University.

It’s a little absurd to put a quarterback on this list but Lindley is a player I liked going into the NFL Draft and with the Arizona situation being so unstable he may get a shot at some point either this year or next. He’s getting a decent opportunity this week as Ken Whisenhunt has announced Lindley will start the Cardinals final preseason game against Denver with both Kolb and Skelton not playing. Lindley’s path to any type of fantasy relevance is extremely unlikely but you just never know.

• 7. Cyrus Gray, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Gray was selected by the Chiefs with the 182nd pick out of Texas A&M.

The backfield may be crowded but when it comes to long shots, Cyrus Gray isn’t as far off as you may think. He’s had his issues this preseason with injury but unlike Dan Herron he has already made enough of an impression on his coaching staff that his roster spot is safe. Once healthy, I believe Gray will beat out Shaun Draughn for the RB3 gig and this could be a decent source of production given the previous injuries to Hillis and Charles. In a year when RB isn’t very strong, you can do worse than Gray.

• 6. Orson Charles, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Charles was selected by the Bengals with the 116th pick out of the University of Georgia.

Tight ends are the new craze in the NFL and the Bengals may have scored a bargain by getting Charles in the fourth round. Here we have a very athletic receiver who slid due to worries about health that are a little unfounded. The possibility of a 2 TE tandem with Jermaine Gresham is a distinct possibility in the future although personally I think Charles is the better of the two. A depth choice and a speculative one but great potential here. If you want a bit of extra insight, read our pre-draft interview with Charles.

• 5. Tommy Streeter, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Streeter was selected by the Ravens with the 198th pick out of the University of Miami.

Here’s all you need to know about Streeter – he’s as raw as they come, he’s wicked fast and he’s 6 foot 5. Here we have a player with upside as high as you can possibly get but three things are holding him back – he needs to learn how to run routes, he’s in danger of being cut and he’s on the Baltimore Ravens who already have Torrey Smith. If you’re in a deep league, investing in Streeter is worthwhile if you have the stomach to hang onto him. This is not a player you grab and hope he pays off in the short term. If you’re patient enough with him, the reward could be massive – Calvin Johnson massive.

• 4. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Hilton was selected by the Colts with the 92nd pick out of Florida International University.

There’s plenty going for Hilton as a fantasy sleeper – the Colts are going to pass a lot, Austin Collie is still struggling with concussions and he has impressed during the preseason and training camp as Andrew Luck continues to show he is far more NFL ready than previously thought. Hilton’s spot on the Colts roster is assured as the primary returner and I expect he’ll get a bunch of looks as the team’s WR3. This will be a pass-heavy offense and if the cards fall right, Hilton screams to me of Victor Cruz from 2011. Be sure to check out our exclusive interview with Hilton from before the NFL Draft if you want some extra info.

• 3. T.J. Graham, WR, Buffalo Bills

Graham was selected by the Bills with the 69th pick out of North Carolina State University.

I’ll get this out of the way straight away – I love me some T.J. Graham in deep leagues this year. From all the info I’ve heard out of Bills camp this year and from seeing him in preseason it looks like he could join the list of no-name players to excel in Buffalo. After Stevie Johnson there are some interesting names but nobody that really stands out so there’s a decent chance Graham goes into the season as a WR3/4 with the upside to claim the WR2 job if he can perform.

• 2. Dwayne Allen, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Allen was selected by the Colts with the 64th pick out of Clemson University.

There may be a lot of hype surrounding Coby Fleener due his being Andrew Luck’s college teammate but Dwayne Allen is himself a very talented and athletic tight end. When you look at the Colts offense as a whole, there is room for two tight ends to make an impact considering that you can expect Indy to throw the ball a bunch. Allen’s natural athleticism and talent should come through and the combination of himself and Fleener could be the next really potent young 2TE combo to rival Gronk/Hernandez.

• 1. James Hanna, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Hanna was selected by the Cowboys with the 186th pick out of the University of Oklahoma.

This offseason I have made various comments regarding Hanna getting into the mix in Dallas due to their lack of a third receiver and Jason Witten’s spleen injury has just given Hanna the best opportunity he could possibly get. He’s impressed a bunch of people in Dallas this offseason and could turn out to be everything that Martellus Bennett was not. Now I don’t think Hanna should be owned in standard leagues except as a spot starter while Witten is gone. With that being said, he is an intriguing deep sleeper who could emerge into not only a minor receiving threat but also could be Jason Witten’s eventual replacement in Dallas.

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That’s it for today. Check back in on Friday for this week’s edition of the Fantasy Mailbag. Until then, this is the Fantasy Guru signing off.

Feb 26, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A

The 2012 NFL Draft is only days away and inevitably most of the talk in the lead-up has surrounded the quarterbacks. Here’s a quick look at the top contenders and where they’re likely to go.

1. Andrew Luck (Stanford) – #1 overall

Luck has been projected as the top pick in the NFL Draft for two consecutive years now as, prior to his decision to stay in school for one more year, Luck was ranked ahead of Cam Newton for last year’s draft.

This is one of those quarterbacks who has no apparent flaws in his game. He has a great arm, is accurate in his throws, shows good judgment with quick decisions and is athletic to boot. Andrew Luck is the top prospect of this year’s draft and he should be.

2. Robert Griffin III (Baylor) – #2 overall

Here we have a freak of an athlete who would be at home at any offensive position on the field (and would probably have made a pretty good defensive back too) had he chosen to be. Lucky for us, Robert Griffin III became a quarterback and is easily head and shoulders above the rest of the draft class excluding Andrew Luck.

RG3 is an awesome specimen. He’s faster than Cam Newton, more agile than most running backs but has the poise in the pocket to make some tough throws. He also has a great attitude and personality just oozes from the kid. As he said on Jon Gruden’s QB Camp “there’s really two number 1 picks this year”.

3. Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) – Top 10

After the top two, there is a clear gap to Ryan Tannehill. Despite the buzz surrounding his likely being picked in the top 10, this doesn’t mean he is worth that pick. However, you better get used to the idea because it is almost certain to happen.

Tannehill definitely has ability. In his time with Texas A&M, he put together a bunch of nice plays and showed he can make the throws. The question with the Aggie is his ability to make plays in pressure situations and to close out games. It is this quality that often separates the good from the great and is what his detractors point to most often when arguing that Tannehill isn’t worth the high pick.

Tannehill was originally projected as a low first to early second round prospect. Be prepared that that may be all he is.

4. Kirk Cousins (Michigan State) – Mid Second Round

This may surprise some of you. It shouldn’t.

Kirk Cousins is one of those quarterbacks that if you watched him in college, you’d say he’s solid but not spectacular. He was held back by his offense quite a bit and showed with his throws at the Combine that he certainly has a great deal of talent.

Cousins has been compared a lot to Kyle Orton. I can see that. He won’t impress you a whole lot but he will do his job and do it well. Consider this – with all the back quarterback play in the NFL, isn’t that the sort of quarterback worth investing in? He’ll probably never be elite but he’s far less likely to let you down either. In today’s “can’t miss” draft environment, this reliability carries a value all it’s own.

5. Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) – Late 1st Round, Early 2nd Round

Is Brandon Weeden an elite quarterback who is being devalued due to his age? That’s the question on the lips of a lot of team scouts and has many NFL teams interested in obtaining Weeden early in the draft to take a chance.

Is Weeden an old rookie? Absolutely. At 29, he is older than more than half of the current starters in the NFL. Despite this, he showed considerable polish at college level and there is a chance that he is ready for the pros. This alone will get him drafted high. However, he’s only ranked 5th on this list because at the end of the day he’s still a 29 year old rookie who only has a chance rather than being the elite prospect that Luck and Griffin are.

If Weeden can learn quickly, if his physical ability doesn’t decline too quickly and if he can emulate some of the gritty performances he made in college, he’s a bargain. That’s alot of ifs though – while I love Weeden’s upside, I hate betting on ifs, buts and maybes.

6. Brock Oswiller (Arizona State) – Third Or Fourth Round

There is only one word to describe Brock Oswiller – big. At 6 foot 7 and 240+ pounds, this kid is one of the biggest quarterback prospects the NFL has seen. Even better – he can throw and does have good athletic ability.

There are some serious issues here though. First of all, Oswiller chose not to work out at the Combine. Straight away this puts up red flags. For a prospect who has a lot of competition from the likes of Weeden, Cousins and Foles, it would have helped Oswiller’s stock a lot if he’d shown us what he could do. The fact that he didn’t suggests to scouts and coaches that he has something to hide.

Looking at tape of him, it is surprising to see that Oswiller is quite mobile in the pocket – something you wouldn’t generally expect from someone his size. He’s got a very big arm too which is an asset many coaches look for.

The negatives from tape are what will drop Oswiller’s stock heavily – this kid is as raw as the sushi I had for lunch. His decision making is awful, his ability to read defenses needs work and in general you wonder if he will have the ability to adjust to the complexity of an NFL playbook. Someone will grab the guy in the mid rounds to try and train him up but there are serious doubts as to whether Oswiller will ever be an NFL quarterback.

7. Ryan Lindley (San Diego State) – Fourth Round

Lindley is the big sleeper of this quarterback class for me. A few weeks ago I mentioned that I pick a pair of quarterbacks every year that I like and that Kirk Cousins was the first. Since then he’s gone from a third or fourth rounder to a genuine second round prospect. Ryan Lindley is now on that list.

Lindley has plenty of lumps – biggest among these in inaccuracy issues in college. He needed to have a big senior year and failed to do so. He had a chance to improve upon the perception of him at the Senior Bowl but failed to do so. His mechanics are the main reason for this which is why there is hope.

There is plenty to like about this kid. He’s got size at 6 foot 4, he’s got a big arm and he’s shown good decision making skills despite the turnovers he made. One big immeasurable he displayed during his time at SDSU was that he can hang tight even when times are tough.

If Lindley can get himself onto a team where he can sit for a few years and get trained up to iron out his mechanical issues then after that time we may be looking at the next Matt Flynn who comes out from behind the shadow of a starter and shines.

8. Nick Foles (Arizona) – Third Or Fourth Round

Here we have a quarterback who looked pretty good at college level but since leaving Arizona has been unable to to impress anybody. Prior to the Senior Bowl, Nick Foles was in the mix to be the third quarterback off the board with Ryan Tannehill at the bottom of the first round. Since then he has failed at every level to show the skills that seemed so evident in college.

When you look more closely at his tape, it just gets worse. While Foles fought well when his defense consistently failed to perform, eventually this pressure began to affect his ability. He appears unable to go through his progressions and find the open receiver. Foles has the bad habit of locking in on a receiver and if he can’t get out of this habit he will never be an NFL quarterback. However, he does have a rocket arm and can make very accurate throws when he makes the right reads so there is hope here.

9. B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga) – Fourth To Sixth Round

Here’s one of those small school quarterbacks that is really going under the radar this year. He has his share of fans among scouts, coaches and commentators alike. A lot of the reason he’s underrated is in the college he attended – UT-Chattanooga isn’t exactly recognised as being a haven of NFL talent.

Watching tape of him at the East-West Shrine Game, I was very impressed with what I saw from Coleman. Obviously there’s coaching needed with him. He needs to make his reads faster, his mechanics need work and he’s not particularly athletic but he does have above average arm strength and shows above average accuracy as well. Watch this guy – whoever takes him in the draft will at the very least have a very capable backup in a couple of years.

10. Case Keenum (Houston) – Fifth To Seventh Round

I have chosen to round out the top 10 with Houston quarterback Case Keenum for one simple reason – of the remaining signal callers, he is most likely to have a major impact either as a backup or as an average to below average starter.

Keenum did extremely well in his senior year in Houston and became a favourite of college fans who were cheering his team to the postseason. Despite this, Case Keenum looks to me like a system quarterback. He flourished in Houston because the way they played suited him. With that being said, if he can get drafted by the right team and fit his team’s system then he may get a chance to be a starter down the line.

Ultimately, Keenum may never be more than an adequate NFL backup. There is potential here though so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him push past the expectations of him.

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So there you have it. I left some favorites off the list. I’m sure many of you wonder why the likes of Russel Wilson and Kellen Moore were left out. As usual, you can ask me any questions you have by tweeting me @chrissmithsz or by leaving a comment below.

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