Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on San Diego Chargers No. 39 RB Danny Woodhead
By Jeremy Klump
The NFL Spin Zone ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ series continues with 39 days until kickoff, profiling San Diego Chargers running back No. 39 Danny Woodhead.
Today is July 31, 2016, which means there are exactly 39 days until the NFL season kicks off.
It also means we are one day away from being another month closer to the first NFL regular season kickoff. That kickoff will start the 2016 NFL season and will also be a rematch of Super Bowl 50.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers to end the 2015 football season and send Peyton Manning off on top. Manning may have won the Super Bowl, but it was his defense that made the biggest impact.
Von Miller dominated the game, sacking 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year Cam Newton two and a half times, one of which resulted in a touchdown for the Broncos. The Panthers will be looking for revenge while the Broncos will be looking top start where they left off.
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As we wait for the two teams to kickoff the NFL season, the team at NFL Spin Zone has decided to profile a player whose number is associated with the amount of days until that first kickoff.
With that in mind, there are 39 days until football, so I will profile San Diego Chargers pass-catching running back, No. 39 Danny Woodhead.
Standing at 5’8″ (according to the program) and weighing in around 200 pounds, the Chargers running back is on the smaller side. When you see him on the field, he does not look like he belongs. However when the game gets going you can see that he does.
While he may be small, his game has been big, especially in 2015. The undrafted free agent had arguably the best year of his career last season, showing two important things.
One, that being undrafted doesn’t stop you from making an impact. Two, that the NFL is truly evolving for running backs, showing that being able to catch the ball out of the backfield is important.
Catching the football out of the backfield has become a norm for the former Division II player out of Chadron State College. Woodhead totaled 261 career receptions for 2,463 yards and 16 touchdowns.
A majority of his numbers came last season when Woodhead dominated the league, catching 80 passes for 755 yards and six touchdowns (all career highs). Ironically, Woodhead is listed as a running back, but he has more career receiving yards than rushing yards (only 2,066 career rushing yards).
If you like to play fantasy football and you are in a Point Per Reception (PPR) league, NFL Spin Zone’s Fantasy Football guru, Daniel Thomas says to target Woodhead. Last season, Woodhead led the rest of the running backs in targets, receptions and receiving touchdowns, so he is definitely someone to consider early.
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As he heads into his eighth NFL season, Woodhead seems to be a player that will be in the league for many more years. The NFL has evolved and a player like Woodhead is exactly what teams are looking for. He is a weapon that the Chargers found a way to use successfully and they will continue to do so in 2016.
Topping his stats from last season will be hard to do, however we have 39 days to see if No. 39 is ready for an encore performance to his impressive 2015 season.