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I'd think Rivers could easily hit 75 solos as an every down WLB. That's close to Landon Johnson's output over the past two seasons. If Thurman v2005 shows up, I think it'll be difficult for Rivers to top 85. Should be some reasonable coverage peripherals for him, too.
There are a lot of options in Arizona, but I think you're probably right. My brain just won't let LaBoy back into its good graces after I pimped him two years ago only to see him fail as an every down player.First post updated.
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-bl...debuts_bro.html
My 2nd round pick is #17My logic is this: I was going to go LB with this pick anyway. Last year I got Puz @ 2.04. I think he was the 2nd or 3rd LB off the board. I have to assume a similar situation this year. Is the 3rd drafted LB better than Fletcher? I dont think so... Besides, I have a couple of young'uns that could turn out but this is the year I make a run at the playoffs. Comments?
I believe he is participating in this weekend's minicamp, though limited. He didn't need surgery and I don't remember hearing about any setbacks. It's not the type of injury that should affect his play if it heals properly and there doesn't seem to be an indication it didn't. I suppose there's hope for him behind a much improved defensive line, but his tackle numbers haven't been exciting enough to risk the injury problems.
I would be very surprised if DQwell is not a 3-down LB in 2008.
This is a very good idea.
I was just wondering the same thing today. That's useful stuff right there.
Yep, I'll update it today. And I'll begin making an effort to find the headset guys. They'll be noted with an * in the original post. Many of them will be tentative and I strongly doubt I'll find a LB not on this list that will be wearing one. Also, my recollection is that many coaches have said they'll use secondary players, fearing that the receiver may be damaged by heavy hitting. We'll see how it comes out.ETA: From some initial google searches, I'm not sure how much value the helmet receiver will have for us here. The vast majority of stories from post draft minicamps suggest that teams have had multiple players try the headset and are listing one linebacker and one safety as possibles, pretty much by default. I think there will be the occasional story that sheds some light on the every down situation (Bradley getting the receiver or an injury fill-in later in the year surprisingly getting trusted with one), so I'll keep searching and updating the original post as I see the blurbs (feel free to post them in here, too), but I'm not sure there's much to be gleaned right now.
Dhani Jones was interesting to me (getting the speaker).
Jones shouldn't even be on the team, much less starting -- which I know I don't have to tell youJeff Pasquino said:
. He was third on the depth chart for nickel purposes, though, behind Rivers and a projected Thurman at MLB. There's no one else on this team that's proven capable of playing in the nickel with Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson (and now Thurman) gone. I suppose it's possible the dot goes to Rivers at some point, but considering the youth that probably starts at LB (and S, where the receiver is getting placed with other clubs), Jones was a better fit than Rivers, White and Ndukwe. And how sad is that?Both Jeff and I will caution you defensive newbies following along that Dhani Jones is a gentlemen who was phased out of the Eagle nickel in 2006 in favor of Omar Gaither etal and couldn't find a roster spot on a team that wasn't exactly swimming in LB depth because he doesn't fit well on special teams. Be careful before getting excited that he's an every down player; it's hard to see him doing what guys like Jay Foreman and Danny Clark have done in recent seasons. A better comp might be Peter Sirmon.
Jones shouldn't even be on the team, much less starting -- which I know I don't have to tell youJeff Pasquino said:. He was third on the depth chart for nickel purposes, though, behind Rivers and a projected Thurman at MLB. There's no one else on this team that's proven capable of playing in the nickel with Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson (and now Thurman) gone. I suppose it's possible the dot goes to Rivers at some point, but considering the youth that probably starts at LB (and S, where the receiver is getting placed with other clubs), Jones was a better fit than Rivers, White and Ndukwe. And how sad is that?Both Jeff and I will caution you defensive newbies following along that Dhani Jones is a gentlemen who was phased out of the Eagle nickel in 2006 in favor of Omar Gaither etal and couldn't find a roster spot on a team that wasn't exactly swimming in LB depth because he doesn't fit well on special teams. Be careful before getting excited that he's an every down player; it's hard to see him doing what guys like Jay Foreman and Danny Clark have done in recent seasons. A better comp might be Peter Sirmon.
Did I strike a nerve, Jene?Dhani JonesYes, there's a reason he's no longer an Eagle - but hey, if Paris Lenon was an IDP value, so can Dhani be for a year, can't he?Any starting MLB that wears a speaker is worth rostering in most leagues, regardless of skill level. 4-5 tackles at MLB isn't hard to get in most schemes. While Dhani won't win you a championship and is likely in his final year of value (if you can call it that) he's a good LB4 or LB5 candidate that most will overlook.But yeah, he's not really good.
Did I strike a nerve, Jene?
Pretty hard for a guy that likes to watch good defense to look forward to having Dhani Jones as an every down MLB on his so-called homer team.
Agree with all of the above. Except that I don't mind overlooking some of these LB4-5 candidates. I suppose it's a fine line and a lot of personal preference, but I thought there was visible upside with Paris Lenon last year. I wouldn't have pegged him for 90 solos necessarily, but it was possible. I can't imagine that happening to Jones this year. I'd rather roster a guy like Mayo or Durant or Bradley out of the same tier and risk the downside. I may be wrong about Jones but I'll let someone else keep him on their roster in the hopes that they end up starting him. Roster crunch concerns aside, I prefer to target one week wonder possibilities off the waiver wire than start the Dhani Jones and Peter Sirmons of the landscape.
Biabreakable said:What does the asterix mean in the original post?
Ah ok thanks Jene.I am seeing that Lofton is not being listed here yet he is ranked really high in the IDP rankings. Do you not list rookies on this list until they are confirmed starters?Biabreakable said:What does the asterix mean in the original post?
No, Mayo, Rivers and Dizon are on there I think. Just have yet to see confirmation that Lofton will be on the field instead of Brooking or that they'll move Boley into a rush role on passing downs. Both are very possible.Ah ok thanks Jene.I am seeing that Lofton is not being listed here yet he is ranked really high in the IDP rankings. Do you not list rookies on this list until they are confirmed starters?Biabreakable said:What does the asterix mean in the original post?
I don't see Jackson losing snaps. The James news is interesting. It would increase his stat projection some, but probably not enough to send him into a tier where he's clearly above replacement level. I'm not convinced he'll keep the headset into opening weekend, though, if Thomas proves he's healthy.Hey Jene, since Brady James is going to wear the headset, do you think that is going to raise his numbers over the predictions you guys have set for him? It looks as though he was predicted to lose snaps in the nickle but if he is wearing the headset, I doubt he will be off the field much. Here are the most recent predictions for him: TKL AST SACK FF FR INT PD FPT John Norton 60 33 3 1 1 0 4 140.75 Aaron Rudnicki 60 30 2 1 2 0 3 137.00 Also, do you really see DQ losing snaps in Cleveland? He seemed like one of the more definite every down backers there, just curious of your take on this.Thanks
I think there's a good chance he may be, but Peterson and Smith have been entrenched in those roles for so long that it's hard to project otherwise until we know for certain.
Where is the confirmation that Dizon has overtaken Paris Lenon at MLB? While I think it could happen I haven't seen anything saying that it is a lock. Just wondering if I might have missed something?No, Mayo, Rivers and Dizon are on there I think. Just have yet to see confirmation that Lofton will be on the field instead of Brooking or that they'll move Boley into a rush role on passing downs. Both are very possible.Ah ok thanks Jene.I am seeing that Lofton is not being listed here yet he is ranked really high in the IDP rankings. Do you not list rookies on this list until they are confirmed starters?What does the asterix mean in the original post?
The last time I updated the first post, Dizon was expected to see time at MLB in OTAs. That didn't happen. However, it still wouldn't surprise me to see Dizon move ahead of Lenon on passing downs even if he doesn't start in the middle.Where is the confirmation that Dizon has overtaken Paris Lenon at MLB? While I think it could happen I haven't seen anything saying that it is a lock. Just wondering if I might have missed something?No, Mayo, Rivers and Dizon are on there I think. Just have yet to see confirmation that Lofton will be on the field instead of Brooking or that they'll move Boley into a rush role on passing downs. Both are very possible.Ah ok thanks Jene.I am seeing that Lofton is not being listed here yet he is ranked really high in the IDP rankings. Do you not list rookies on this list until they are confirmed starters?What does the asterix mean in the original post?
Ok thanks Jene.This is definitly a situation I see worth monitoring.Last year the Lions had 1087 offensive plays run against them compared to only running 965 plays on offense.They were on the wrong side of TOP 32:39 average for their opponents.Although the HC has recommited to the running game we all know that these commitments get abandoned when the team is losing. So I do not see a lot of reason to expect the Lions to improve their TOP situation moving forward. Their defense is soft up the middle and this lends to some very good tackle opportunity for the MLB.I picked up Lenon last year in dynasty leagues because of how he was performing in the box scores. Dizon certainly has the potential to be a more complete player if he should win the job. If they split time at MLB that will hurt both players opportunity however.With 2 games against the run heavy Vikings, a Packers team that may lean more heavily on the run against them and teams like Jacksonville and the Titans on the schedule this year there definitly will be some times to consider the Lions MLB a start.If one of these 2 can establish themselves as the guy.Jene Bramel said:The last time I updated the first post, Dizon was expected to see time at MLB in OTAs. That didn't happen. However, it still wouldn't surprise me to see Dizon move ahead of Lenon on passing downs even if he doesn't start in the middle.Biabreakable said:Where is the confirmation that Dizon has overtaken Paris Lenon at MLB? While I think it could happen I haven't seen anything saying that it is a lock. Just wondering if I might have missed something?No, Mayo, Rivers and Dizon are on there I think. Just have yet to see confirmation that Lofton will be on the field instead of Brooking or that they'll move Boley into a rush role on passing downs. Both are very possible.Ah ok thanks Jene.I am seeing that Lofton is not being listed here yet he is ranked really high in the IDP rankings. Do you not list rookies on this list until they are confirmed starters?What does the asterix mean in the original post?
Marinelli will not hand a rookie a starting job. That's why he is not listed as the starter. But from everything I have seen around here, Dizon should start early, if not week 1.Biabreakable said:
Which doesn't jive at all with an earlier report that James will have the helmet communicator. I'm not so sure this is going to be a reliable indicator in every instance.
Here's a clarification of the rule I picked up from a Packers Blog.Palm Beach, Fla. -- By a vote of 25-7, the NFL owners passed a proposal that would allow a defensive player on the field to wear a radio in his helmet so he could receive play calls from the sideline.
I'm sure we all would trust Belichek with those green dots.
Be very careful with Rotoworld folks. Here's the full blurb from the primary source.bcr8f said:
That blog post also mentions that DC Greg Blache is having "issues" getting used to the communication system. I don't think Blache will have a problem going back to hand signals if they run into snags with the speaker helmets (in fact, he may prefer it).
This is why our bloggers actually READ the article before posting news....