Fantasy Football Impact Report: Kevin Boss

July 22, 2008 2:01pm CDT

Jeremy Shockey is one of the more offensively gifted tight ends in football. Of course, he has also been one of the more vociferous players in the game when it comes to sharing his displeasure with the Giants with just about anyone who is willing to listen. As a result, the Giants finally acquiesced and decided to move the lightning rod that is Shockey to the Saints on Monday in exchange for a second- and fifth-round pick (Shockey must still pass a physical in order to finalize the deal - he is working his way back from a broken leg suffered last season). This is reportedly the same deal that the Saints offered for Shockey prior to the 2008 NFL Entry Draft (it was obviously turned down then), but regardless, Shockey now finds himself with a new team where he and his surly attitude will give the Saints high-powered offense yet another weapon for Drew Brees to exploit.

Where does this move leave the Giants? Well, the Giants will be forced to transition the raw, but physically gifted second-year player Kevin Boss to the starting lineup (Boss was the starting center on his high school basketball team that won the state title in 2002 as he was named honorable mention all-state in Oregon). Standing 6'6" and weighing in at 253 lbs, Boss figures to give plenty of defenses matchup problems. With an established offense that includes a powerful running game, as well as a growing arm at the quarterback position, Boss finds himself in a great spot to begin to post solid numbers in what he hopes will be a long and productive career.

NFL CAREER
2007: As a rookie, Boss filled in late in the year when Shockey was injured, catching nine balls for 118 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. In the "second season," the playoffs, he caught five balls for 90 yards.

TEAM SCENARIO
The biggest news on offense for the Giants last season was the growth of Eli Manning. Manning threw 23 scores while passing for 3,386 yards, but he also tossed a career-worst 20 INTs. So how was that effort considered a growth campaign? Well, Eli did exceedingly well in the playoffs with a 95.7 QB Rating, thanks to six touchdowns and only one INT in four games in pushing the Giants to the championship. In addition, he looked poised and in total control of the offense, a Manning family trait, leading the Giants to believe that he could be on the verge of a real breakout in his fifth NFL season.

Aiding Manning in the passing game is wide receiver Plaxico Burress who, despite being hampered by an ankle injury that basically limited his practice time all season, scored a career-high 12 times in '07 in addition to posting 1,025 yards receiving. The team also has aging but solid vet Amani Toomer lining up across the field. Toomer caught 59 passes for 760 yards and three scores as a possession receiver.

In addition to the passing acumen of the offense, one must give "props" to the Giants rushing attack that led them to an average of 134.3 yards per game on the ground, the fourth-best mark in the NFL, while their average of 4.6 yards per carry was third overall. The rushing attack is spearheaded by Brandon Jacobs, who went over 1,000 yards on the ground, while Derrick Ward (602 yards), Reuben Droughns (six TDs) and Ahmad Bradshaw (23 carries for 190 yards) also chipped in when called upon.

Overall, the Giants offense was 16th in yards (331.4) and 14th in points (23.3 per game), and they certainly have the personnel that, if healthy, could greatly outpace that production in 2008.

2008 UPSIDE
During his college career, Boss caught 134 passes for 19 touchdowns, though that was against inferior Division II competition. However, there is no disputing the physical gifts Boss brings to the table. He is tall (6'6"), fast (his 4.6 40-yard dash time was second to only Greg Olsen amongst tight ends drafted last season), and he possesses excellent hands that were honed from years of work on the hardwood. He also has a substantial vertical leap of 35 inches - that's almost three feet, folks. There are also a couple of reasons to look at the team's overall offensive makeup and believe that Boss could have room to grow in '08.

Amani Toomer isn't getting any younger, and Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith failed to impress anyone last year. That means there should be at least 50 receptions on offense unaccounted for with the loss of Shockey, and it is only natural to assume that the man taking his spot in the lineup would have a chance to take advantage of that role in the offense. The Giants should once again be able to take advantage of teams on the ground with their strong rushing attack, and with Plaxico Burress on hand to stretch the defense deep, there just might be a lot of open space in the seam for Boss to work in. Too big for d-backs, and possibly too athletic for some linebackers, Boss could pose quite a few matchup problems for opposing defenses.

2008 DOWNSIDE
Boss, who attended Division II Western Oregon University, was rated the best tight end prospect from a non-Division 1A school prior to being selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. Boss was initially slated to start the year as the Giants' third option at tight end, but when Darcy Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, Boss suddenly found himself taking on a much larger role in the offense. Still, he caught only nine regular season passes and really didn't make any sort of mark until late in the year when Shockey was injured.

The loss of Shockey, who was third on the team with 57 receptions and 619 yards, could hamper the Giants' ability to move the ball on offense. There are few who question that Boss has the physical gifts necessary to be an offensive weapon at the NFL level, but it would be a lot to expect Boss to produce a season of 62 receptions, 705 yards and 4.5 touchdowns in '08, the numbers that Shockey averaged during his six-year career. Young, inexperienced and not exactly the best blocker in the game, Boss will have the opportunity to find success in 2008, but it often takes time to develop a chemistry with a quarterback, not to mention the mental acuity needed to grasp an entire offensive game plan. Boss has big shoes to fill and it remains to be seen how he will fare against elite competition over an extended period of time.

OVERALL FANTASY IMPACT
Boss is sure to be a prime target on draft day now that he figures to be the undisputed starter for the G-men (Michael Matthews and/or Darcy Johnson will likely also be utilized, though obviously more so in a blocking capacity). Given that Shockey caught at least 48 passes in each of his six seasons in a Giants uniform, it is clear that the club knows how to utilize an offensively talented tight end, which bodes well for Boss in '08. Given Boss's size and physical gifts, there is every reason to expect him to one day be worthy of drafting as a starting tight end. However, given his lack of experience in the NFL (remember, he caught only 14 balls last season, including the playoffs), expecting him to turn into a 50-reception starting end in 2008 may be too much. Boss is probably best suited to be drafted as a backup tight end, one with considerable upside mind you, but it might be wise to count on another more established option as your starter this season.