What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

DeAndre Levy starting in week 5 (1 Viewer)

Anthony Borbely

Footballguy
DeAndre Levy is starting in week 5...and it is not because someone is hurt. Either Ernie Sims or Julian Peterson will be replaced in the lineup.

It must be noted that Peterson took some snaps at DE this week.

Link

Lions are expected to start DeAndre Levy, but who will sit?

By Tom Kowalski

October 08, 2009, 1:14PM

ALLEN PARK -- As of now, the Detroit Lions have four starting linebackers but only three will be taking the field on Sunday when the Lions host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"He'll probably start,'' Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said of rookie DeAndre Levy. As to who might head to the bench, Cunningham wouldn't say. "We don't know yet. We're discussing that right now. Yeah, they ought to be nervous, (Levy) is playing pretty good.''

With Larry Foote playing well, it appears that Levy will replace either Ernie Sims or Julian Peterson and it would be a significant benching for either one of them. Sims, a first-round draft pick in 2006, started 50 straight games for Detroit before being sidelined with a shoulder injury two weeks ago. Peterson, a five-time Pro Bowl player, has been a full-time starter in the NFL for the last eight years.

"If we're going to follow the philosophy of the head coach, the best player should be out there and I darn sure think he's one of the best players we've got right now,'' Cunningham said. "Right now, the thought is to not take him off the field on any package. That's a big load for a rookie but I think he can handle it and (head coach) Jim (Schwartz) thinks he can handle it, too. We're going to coach him hard.''
 
Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham indicated that rookie LB DeAndre Levy will start on Sunday, at the expense of one of his veterans.

Who wil go to the pine? I hope it is not Foote...

 
With the way Levy has looked so far it makes sense to get him on the field more.

If the coaching staff feels Peterson can hold up at defensive end that seems like the way to go.

 
Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham indicated that rookie LB DeAndre Levy will start on Sunday, at the expense of one of his veterans.Who wil go to the pine? I hope it is not Foote...
Foote is definitely not the one being benched. Sims or Peterson is...and neither has played well, so it could be either.
 
I strongly suspect that Sims saw Levy on film early last week and decided he was getting back on the field whether his shoulder was ready or not. The injuries along the line make shuffling Peterson a possibility, but I think it's at least 60-40 that Sims is the one benched. I think the hints that it has nothing to do with injury suggest that it'll be Sims as well.

Either way, it's Levy and Foote as the every-down backers.

 
I strongly suspect that Sims saw Levy on film early last week and decided he was getting back on the field whether his shoulder was ready or not. The injuries along the line make shuffling Peterson a possibility, but I think it's at least 60-40 that Sims is the one benched. I think the hints that it has nothing to do with injury suggest that it'll be Sims as well.Either way, it's Levy and Foote as the every-down backers.
My gut says Peterson was practicing at DE to be a situational pass rusher, but they didn't say anything other than he was practicing at DE. I highly doubt he plays there full time. I also think Sims will be the one that is benched.
 
So is he a high upside guy?
i think he has incredible upside. foote will steal tackles ocassionally, but the amount of opportunities should cover that easily. im not a detroit nuthugger, but it seems like a pretty good sign that he played his way into the role.
 
This could turn out to be a real nice pickup. Lots of good signs here:

-- Young guy wih a high motor.

-- Bad team lacking playmakers on defense.

-- Offense that has improved just enough to make more games interesting and therefore not as short.

-- Coach saying he will play every down.

I like this a lot.

 
Yeah, but is this permanent, or are they trying to "send a message" to the vets ,as has become popular these days?

Is Levy really more talented than the formerly, very-highly touted Sims, or Peterson, such that his talent would overcome his relative inexperience?

I seem to recall that DET passed over some good 1st/2nd round LBs which many of us thought would work well n the middle to take Levy in the 3rd.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, but is this permanent, or are they trying to "send a message" to the vets ,as has become popular these days?

Is Levy really more talented than the formerly, very-highly touted Sims, or Peterson, such that his talent would overcome his relative inexperience?

I seem to recall that DET passed over some good 1st/2nd round LBs which many of us thought would work well n the middle to take Levy in the 3rd.
Levy is starting because he has clearly been better on the field than either Sims or Peterson. He forced his way onto the field with his play.
 
if peterson sits, or rotates to de, or whatever, who plays wlb/slb between the remainder?

levy wouldn't really be as interesting at slb, right?

even if he's a 3 down guy, I don't see detroit being forced to play a lot of nickel, as most of their opponents will be able to run a ton in the second half.

edit: after checking pff, it looks like he kind of flip flopped back and forth in week 3.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I currently have Foote rostered. (He's my LB3/4.) Should I drop Foote to pick up Levy? Which Detroit LB is the better bet going forward? Please advise.

--SM

 
csm2840 said:
I currently have Foote rostered. (He's my LB3/4.) Should I drop Foote to pick up Levy? Which Detroit LB is the better bet going forward? Please advise.
I'm in the same boat.. I'll take my chances on Levy.. Although Foote is playing his former team this week.. maybe he'll be a bit more motivated to make a big play?
 
Yeah... I was thinking the same thing. I'm inclined to hang onto Foote for at least one more week to see what he does (esp. against Pitt.). But it's not like I have been disappointed with Foote's production thus far; he has been very solid. I'll continue to monitor Levy this week--unless, of course, someone out there thinks it's more or less imperative that we grab this guy now (while he's still, at least somewhat, under the radar). ??

--SM

 
What kind of upside do you think he has this year and beyond? Can he be the Lions LB that we thought we would get with Dizon? Do you see him holding the job from a dynasty perspective to be worth rostering over underachieving guys like Channing Crowder right now?

 
Week 3 he had 6 Tackles

Week 4 he had 8 Tackles and FF

This guy is legit. He has earned the WLB spot. This guy has a lot of energy.

 
I think i would trade for sims he should be in the middle not the outside. He is a ball hawk who has gotten hurt from poor offense and defense. He has been the top guy for 2 years now and it takes a toll on your body. He is still damn good and with a backing core they got with foote 29, Levy 22, Sims 24, and peterson 31. I say move to a 3-4 and put sims and foote in the middle with peterson and levy on the outside levy would be another doom and the sacks would rack up.

 
I think i would trade for sims he should be in the middle not the outside. He is a ball hawk who has gotten hurt from poor offense and defense. He has been the top guy for 2 years now and it takes a toll on your body. He is still damn good and with a backing core they got with foote 29, Levy 22, Sims 24, and peterson 31. I say move to a 3-4 and put sims and foote in the middle with peterson and levy on the outside levy would be another doom and the sacks would rack up.
IIRC Foote only signed for this season. The Lions may be looking at Levy as Foote's replacement next season.
 
I think i would trade for sims he should be in the middle not the outside. He is a ball hawk who has gotten hurt from poor offense and defense. He has been the top guy for 2 years now and it takes a toll on your body. He is still damn good and with a backing core they got with foote 29, Levy 22, Sims 24, and peterson 31. I say move to a 3-4 and put sims and foote in the middle with peterson and levy on the outside levy would be another doom and the sacks would rack up.
IIRC Foote only signed for this season. The Lions may be looking at Levy as Foote's replacement next season.
that was all the talk from schwartz in the offseason. he was comfortable with levy starting but then they had a chance to sign foote.
 
This is concerning.

Levy recorded just four tackles Sunday against Pittsurgh.Recommendation: Levy wasn't as strong in his second start for the Lions, which probably tempered some optimism in Detroit. It's unclear if Levy will see another start next week.(Rotowire.com)
 
I think i would trade for sims he should be in the middle not the outside. He is a ball hawk who has gotten hurt from poor offense and defense. He has been the top guy for 2 years now and it takes a toll on your body. He is still damn good and with a backing core they got with foote 29, Levy 22, Sims 24, and peterson 31. I say move to a 3-4 and put sims and foote in the middle with peterson and levy on the outside levy would be another doom and the sacks would rack up.
i could not disagree more
 
Gators said:
This is concerning.

Levy recorded just four tackles Sunday against Pittsurgh.Recommendation: Levy wasn't as strong in his second start for the Lions, which probably tempered some optimism in Detroit. It's unclear if Levy will see another start next week.(Rotowire.com)
Maybe Levy's "low" tackles were due to the Steelers abandoning the run most of the 2nd half. Mendenhall & Moore had a combined 17 total rushes the entire game for Pittsburgh. I'm gonna hold on to him for another week or so.
 
According to this link:

Levy will return to a backup role and Sims, Peterson and Foote will remain the starters.

Schwartz says Levy to return to bench as a backup LB

Maybe it was just a one week wakeup call to the vets. :shrug:
I think Levy would have continued to start had he played better against the Steelers.
As the poster stated above, he didn't really have a lot of opportunity to show his stuff though, did he? The Steelers barely ran the ball.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
According to this link:

Levy will return to a backup role and Sims, Peterson and Foote will remain the starters.

Schwartz says Levy to return to bench as a backup LB

Maybe it was just a one week wakeup call to the vets. :shrug:
I think Levy would have continued to start had he played better against the Steelers.
As the poster stated above, he didn't really have a lot of opportunity to show his stuff though, did he? The Steelers barely ran the ball.
Levy was out of position more than once and missed some tackles and took some bad angles. He really did not play well.
 
According to this link:

Levy will return to a backup role and Sims, Peterson and Foote will remain the starters.

Schwartz says Levy to return to bench as a backup LB

Maybe it was just a one week wakeup call to the vets. :shrug:
I think Levy would have continued to start had he played better against the Steelers.
As the poster stated above, he didn't really have a lot of opportunity to show his stuff though, did he? The Steelers barely ran the ball.
Levy was out of position more than once and missed some tackles and took some bad angles. He really did not play well.
:thumbup: Thanks for the insight. I was just going off the stats and didn't actually see the game. He must have looked pretty bad if Schwartz abandoned the idea of using Levy as a starter after one game. He spoke pretty highly of Levy last week prior to the game.
 
Oh well... hopefully he still gets a shot later in the year when they start looking to the future.... otherwise it's just another wasted roster spot and cap penalty :o

 
In a dinasty league is he worth adding in place of one of the following LBs?

Patrick Willis

DJ Willliams

James Farrior

Stewart Bradley

 
In a dinasty league is he worth adding in place of one of the following LBs?

Patrick Willis

DJ Willliams

James Farrior

Stewart Bradley
:lmao: :lmao: What chu talkin' bout? Willis is elite among the elite. Jerry Rice in his prime type production. D.J. Williams is also a keeper. He's 27 and looks solid in the Broncos new defense.Bradley suffered a season ending injury. If you can IR him do it but he's not an irreplaceable stud that you must keep. If roster spots are limited I'd cut him. Farrior is 34 but still decent and I'd keep him over picking up Levy right now. If your team falls out of contention it may be worth another look in a month or so.

There are no guarantees that Levy will be a starter in a great fantasy producing role next season...let alone this season. He has a good motor but his opportunity and position seem a bit cloudy right now. Not sure what to make of Schwartz right now.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Willis has been a monster, i didn't think about dropping him and Williams, i only tought about dropping Bradley(because his on IR) and Farrior(getting older)

But thanks...

 
In a dynasty, would you keep Levy or grab Session? (2pts per solo, 1 pt for 2 assists. 2 for sack).

(sorry, just realized i wasn't in assistant coach forum)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
drop farrior if your out of contention and pick up levy. Yes Willis is the best, DJ Williams is in the top 5 and Bradley is on my ir and will be top 10 for philly 3 young superstars you shouldn't have to look for a lb for 4 years. Farrior is old but if you are in contention use him until the end of the year. With the one year deal on larry foote the levy to middle looks really promising. I would get rid of clint sessions over levy just because gary brackett has the middle. If sessions were in the middle where he should be that would be different but indy doesnt blitz much either and teams abandon the run on them early so there top guys are lineman and dbs.

 
Levy impressed me yesterday. He didn't always make the play but he was very, very active. His interception was an athletic leaping catch on a Rodgers pass thrown down the hashes. The Lions defense was on the field a lot but he looked good. It will be interesting to see how that linebacker crew shakes out between now and week 1 in 2010.

 
Any word on Levy's status coming off the bye week? Will he be a starter or come in off the bench?

He didn't look great vs The Steelers, but he played well in week 6 vs The Packers.

 
Any word on Levy's status coming off the bye week? Will he be a starter or come in off the bench?He didn't look great vs The Steelers, but he played well in week 6 vs The Packers.
It's impossible to say. Schwartz said Sims would start against the Packers and Levy did. It's hard to know how healthy Sims is too, which makes it even tougher. I think Levy should start, but my gut feeling (baseless) says Sims will start.
 
Any word on Levy's status coming off the bye week? Will he be a starter or come in off the bench?He didn't look great vs The Steelers, but he played well in week 6 vs The Packers.
It's impossible to say. Schwartz said Sims would start against the Packers and Levy did. It's hard to know how healthy Sims is too, which makes it even tougher. I think Levy should start, but my gut feeling (baseless) says Sims will start.
Nuts. It might be best to wait a week anyway because the Rams vs Lions matchup in week 8 isn't exactly a battle between two offensive powerhouses.
 
Thoguhts on Levy for the rest of the year with Sims out for the next 3 weeks or so, and then into 2010? I would have expected more from him against Minny.

 
corpcow said:
Thoguhts on Levy for the rest of the year with Sims out for the next 3 weeks or so, and then into 2010? I would have expected more from him against Minny.
He has been pretty inconsistent and that's about what I expect this year. He could have some matchup dependent value though. Who knows what happens next year, but I would at the very least expect Levy to compete for a starting spot.
 
corpcow said:
Thoguhts on Levy for the rest of the year with Sims out for the next 3 weeks or so, and then into 2010? I would have expected more from him against Minny.
He has been pretty inconsistent and that's about what I expect this year. He could have some matchup dependent value though. Who knows what happens next year, but I would at the very least expect Levy to compete for a starting spot.
I only saw the highlights from the game. Any insight on why Levy only put up 3 tackles in a plus matchup vs. MIN?Was he still out of position, missing tackles and taking bad angles as you mentioned earlier in the thread?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top