Bobby Engram Profile at Pro Football Reference

Ol' Reliable

Bobby Engram has been in the league a long time.  He was around when the Earth was just one solid land mass.  He witnessed the extinction of the dinosaurs (it was a meteor he confirms) and was in the john when Brutus killed Caesar.  He helped Shakespeare write Hamlet and battled lions in the Rome Coliseum.  But more recently, he caught passes as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

With all of that history behind him, this veteran is just one season removed from the best of his career.  In 2007, he established career highs in receptions (94), yards (1,127) and tied a career high in touchdowns (6).  He's lasted so long because he has some of the best hands in the NFL, is a smart route-runner, and can read defenses.  He's made a living off of being a quick slot guy who gets open and snags anything that comes his way, but has averaged only 11.9 yards per catch in his career and only 45 yards per game - not exactly fantasy-worthy.

He suffered a shoulder injury in the pre-season last year and had to miss the first three regular season games.  His production suffered, as he only caught 47 passes for 489 yards and ZERO touchdowns.  He also averaged only 10.4 yards per catch, down from 12.2 the year before.  While he played in 13 games last year, he wasn't the same, and the Seahawks eventually released the old vet.

2009 Fantasy Outlook

The Chiefs snatched Engram up in the off-season and plan to start this timeless receiver.  At 36, he still could find a niche in the Chiefs offense with Matt Cassel throwing him the ball and Todd Haley as coach.  Haley likes to run spread formations, so Engram could see a lot of passes thrown his way, especially with Tony Gonzalez gone.

From a fantasy perspective, Engram has only three 100-yard games since 2000, so don't expect him to put up big numbers.  That said, looking back at what the Cardinals did last season, it's tempting to take a shot on a guy like Engram.  He has produced three relevant fantasy seasons, the one in '07 we already mentioned; the other two being in the late 90's.

A starting WR in a Todd Haley-run offense simply must be drafted this summer.  If you play in a point-per-reception league, you may even want to inch him up for our final rating, as there will be a lot of short and underneath receptions from a guy with Engram's hands and experience.