IDP quick hits (1 Viewer)

[Warpig]

Ok, I just have a few questions on some defensive guys and I'm hoping some of you "in the know" can enlighten me.

Napoleon Harris - What's the latest on him? First, he's a stud then gets traded to Minny and was benched in 2005 then has a mediocre 2006. Is there any interest in him in the FA market? What's his deal? Is he a player or not?

Jimmy Williams (ATL) - This guy was supposed to be a stud coming out of college. What happened? Why is DeAngelo Hall pleading with the front office to bring in secondary help? What is wrong with Williams...is he a bust?

Marlin Jackson - Is he a CB or a Safety? Is he a shutdown corner?

Nathan Vasher - Why was Chicago searching for secondary help so badly? Vasher was in the pro-bowl 2 years ago. Has he regressed in his abilities?

Stephen Tulloch - What does his future hold? 2 or 3 down LB? Does he play MLB or OLB?

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Josh Stamer (BUF) - What's the status on this guy? Does he have a chance to make the starting lineup now with their LB shuffle with Fletcher leaving?

I can't seem to find any place with current info on the above guys so I was hoping I could get some knowledge.

 

[Rovers]

I'll defer to other homers chime in on the others, but B Thomas already IS an OLB in the 3-4 scheme. He's listed as a DE, but he's an LB. In the Jets D scheme, the NT and 2 DE's line up in a two gap, and have their hands down. The two OLB's also are on the LoS, but are up. The two ILB's line up off the LoS.

Why is BT listed as a DE? Because that is the depth chart the Jets officially gave the NFL, which is available to view at NFL.com. It shows a 4-3 defense, while the Jets almost always run a 3-4. The Jets depth chart was actually made by the PR dept, not the coaching staff. As long as he remains listed as a DE, he's a stud. He is the Jets rush LB, but Hobson gets to rush fairly frequently as well from the other side.

 

[ditka85]

Nothing wrong with Vasher as far as the coaching staff is concerned. They wanted extra DB help after the great Steve Smith torching in the playoffs 2 years ago, which was mostly at the hands of Tillman I believe. That was the reason for Ricky Manning's signing, to play in the nickel. So don't worry, Vasher is safe.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Ok, I just have a few questions on some defensive guys and I'm hoping some of you "in the know" can enlighten me.

Napoleon Harris - What's the latest on him? First, he's a stud then gets traded to Minny and was benched in 2005 then has a mediocre 2006. Is there any interest in him in the FA market? What's his deal? Is he a player or not?

Harris is unlikely to be re-signed by Minnesota at last report. I thought he had a reasonable 2006 season. Run defense wasn't the issue for the Vikings. None of the LBs are particularly well suited for Tampa-2 zone coverages. My opinion would be that the slightly better, but nothing special coverage Dontarrious Thomas would provide in the middle (or EJ Henderson if Chad Greenway can't go) won't make up for his poorer run defense. Hard to know how much interest Harris will generate in the FA market. There are a bunch of MLBs available in FA and plenty of middle round prospects as well.

Jimmy Williams (ATL) - This guy was supposed to be a stud coming out of college. What happened? Why is DeAngelo Hall pleading with the front office to bring in secondary help? What is wrong with Williams...is he a bust?

Williams will probably start the off-season as a corner. Zimmer likes guys that can play press coverage and that was felt to be one of Williams' strengths coming out of college. Williams was to move into the starting lineup when Jason Webster got hurt only to get derailed by an ankle injury. DeAngelo Hall is begging for help because he looked like toast when his gambling nature blew up in his face so often last year. When you're part of the problem, better to point the finger elsewhere I always say.

Marlin Jackson - Is he a CB or a Safety? Is he a shutdown corner?

He could be either and both. Even with Bethea's emergence, Jackson is always a "risk" to be moved to safety given Bob Sanders' injury prone playing style. Jackson isn't a shutdown corner. He's a solid man cover guy, but better zone guy and he's very solid in run support. Pretty much the prototype Cover-2 corner.

Nathan Vasher - Why was Chicago searching for secondary help so badly? Vasher was in the pro-bowl 2 years ago. Has he regressed in his abilities?

Chicago needs more help at safety than corner. Ricky Manning was a cheap get and maybe the best nickel corner in the league. Vasher and Tillman are both solid players. Many times, what is seen as a corner getting beat in Chicago is actually the poor play of the safeties. In IDP terms, though, Vasher is typical of a cover corner, even in a Tampa-2 scheme. If you don't support the run and depend on picks and passes defended for IDP value, you'll be inconsistent in the boxscores.

Stephen Tulloch - What does his future hold? 2 or 3 down LB? Does he play MLB or OLB?

Tulloch will be the MLB this season. Sirmon won't be a Titan come training camp and David Thornton and Keith Bullock are entrenched outside. Tulloch's skill set is best suited to the middle. He may end up being useful on passing downs, but he's very unlikely to play ahead of a healthy Bulluck or Thornton in the nickel defense in 2007. He was apparently more impressive on the field than in the boxscores according to the Titan coaching staff late last year. The tackle opportunity is there for him on running downs -- Chris Hope made plenty of plays with Bulluck in front of him last year. He warrants pretty close attention but probably won't have much upside given his probable two down status next year.

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Bryan Thomas is an OLB. No matter what some of the local beat writers and depth charts say, Thomas played the vast majority of his 06 snaps as a stand up 3-4 OLB. There's nothing broken other than the depth charts and they should be fixed this year. Thomas' play steadily improved all year long. Unless he gets complacent with new contract in hand, he shouldn't have much trouble matching his 06 statlines. Unfortunately, they won't be nearly as impressive in the IDP rankings as a LB.

Josh Stamer (BUF) - What's the status on this guy? Does he have a chance to make the starting lineup now with their LB shuffle with Fletcher leaving?

I don't know much about Stamer but I can't imagine him having a place in the starting lineup unless both Fletcher and Takeo Spikes leave. Keith Ellison will move into the lineup if/when Fletcher leaves. And there was talk of moving Coy Wire to LB to shore up depth last year. I'd guess that Stamer isn't much more than solid special teams help. Rudnicki may have a different take.

I can't seem to find any place with current info on the above guys so I was hoping I could get some knowledge.

 

[Warpig]

Ok, I just have a few questions on some defensive guys and I'm hoping some of you "in the know" can enlighten me.

Napoleon Harris - What's the latest on him? First, he's a stud then gets traded to Minny and was benched in 2005 then has a mediocre 2006. Is there any interest in him in the FA market? What's his deal? Is he a player or not?

Harris is unlikely to be re-signed by Minnesota at last report. I thought he had a reasonable 2006 season. Run defense wasn't the issue for the Vikings. None of the LBs are particularly well suited for Tampa-2 zone coverages. My opinion would be that the slightly better, but nothing special coverage Dontarrious Thomas would provide in the middle (or EJ Henderson if Chad Greenway can't go) won't make up for his poorer run defense. Hard to know how much interest Harris will generate in the FA market. There are a bunch of MLBs available in FA and plenty of middle round prospects as well.

Jimmy Williams (ATL) - This guy was supposed to be a stud coming out of college. What happened? Why is DeAngelo Hall pleading with the front office to bring in secondary help? What is wrong with Williams...is he a bust?

Williams will probably start the off-season as a corner. Zimmer likes guys that can play press coverage and that was felt to be one of Williams' strengths coming out of college. Williams was to move into the starting lineup when Jason Webster got hurt only to get derailed by an ankle injury. DeAngelo Hall is begging for help because he looked like toast when his gambling nature blew up in his face so often last year. When you're part of the problem, better to point the finger elsewhere I always say.

Marlin Jackson - Is he a CB or a Safety? Is he a shutdown corner?

He could be either and both. Even with Bethea's emergence, Jackson is always a "risk" to be moved to safety given Bob Sanders' injury prone playing style. Jackson isn't a shutdown corner. He's a solid man cover guy, but better zone guy and he's very solid in run support. Pretty much the prototype Cover-2 corner.

Nathan Vasher - Why was Chicago searching for secondary help so badly? Vasher was in the pro-bowl 2 years ago. Has he regressed in his abilities?

Chicago needs more help at safety than corner. Ricky Manning was a cheap get and maybe the best nickel corner in the league. Vasher and Tillman are both solid players. Many times, what is seen as a corner getting beat in Chicago is actually the poor play of the safeties. In IDP terms, though, Vasher is typical of a cover corner, even in a Tampa-2 scheme. If you don't support the run and depend on picks and passes defended for IDP value, you'll be inconsistent in the boxscores.

Stephen Tulloch - What does his future hold? 2 or 3 down LB? Does he play MLB or OLB?

Tulloch will be the MLB this season. Sirmon won't be a Titan come training camp and David Thornton and Keith Bullock are entrenched outside. Tulloch's skill set is best suited to the middle. He may end up being useful on passing downs, but he's very unlikely to play ahead of a healthy Bulluck or Thornton in the nickel defense in 2007. He was apparently more impressive on the field than in the boxscores according to the Titan coaching staff late last year. The tackle opportunity is there for him on running downs -- Chris Hope made plenty of plays with Bulluck in front of him last year. He warrants pretty close attention but probably won't have much upside given his probable two down status next year.

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Bryan Thomas is an OLB. No matter what some of the local beat writers and depth charts say, Thomas played the vast majority of his 06 snaps as a stand up 3-4 OLB. There's nothing broken other than the depth charts and they should be fixed this year. Thomas' play steadily improved all year long. Unless he gets complacent with new contract in hand, he shouldn't have much trouble matching his 06 statlines. Unfortunately, they won't be nearly as impressive in the IDP rankings as a LB.

Josh Stamer (BUF) - What's the status on this guy? Does he have a chance to make the starting lineup now with their LB shuffle with Fletcher leaving?

I don't know much about Stamer but I can't imagine him having a place in the starting lineup unless both Fletcher and Takeo Spikes leave. Keith Ellison will move into the lineup if/when Fletcher leaves. And there was talk of moving Coy Wire to LB to shore up depth last year. I'd guess that Stamer isn't much more than solid special teams help. Rudnicki may have a different take.

I can't seem to find any place with current info on the above guys so I was hoping I could get some knowledge.

*eta*

I guess I should also throw in Freddie Keiaho. Is he really gonna take over for June? They say Keiaho is similar to June in his speed and tenacity. Is he the replacement or are they expected to bring in a FA or rookie?

 

[Simris]

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.Bryan Thomas is an OLB. No matter what some of the local beat writers and depth charts say, Thomas played the vast majority of his 06 snaps as a stand up 3-4 OLB. There's nothing broken other than the depth charts and they should be fixed this year. Thomas' play steadily improved all year long. Unless he gets complacent with new contract in hand, he shouldn't have much trouble matching his 06 statlines. Unfortunately, they won't be nearly as impressive in the IDP rankings as a LB.

Is the 'fixing' of the depth charts a sure thing?Will the jets fix it or will some or all of the FF sites?I sure dont want him on my squad as a LB.Need to know as I have to do cuts and contracts by midnight tomorrow

 

[redman]

Ok, I just have a few questions on some defensive guys and I'm hoping some of you "in the know" can enlighten me.

Napoleon Harris - What's the latest on him? First, he's a stud then gets traded to Minny and was benched in 2005 then has a mediocre 2006. Is there any interest in him in the FA market? What's his deal? Is he a player or not?

Jimmy Williams (ATL) - This guy was supposed to be a stud coming out of college. What happened? Why is DeAngelo Hall pleading with the front office to bring in secondary help? What is wrong with Williams...is he a bust?

Marlin Jackson - Is he a CB or a Safety? Is he a shutdown corner?

Nathan Vasher - Why was Chicago searching for secondary help so badly? Vasher was in the pro-bowl 2 years ago. Has he regressed in his abilities?

Stephen Tulloch - What does his future hold? 2 or 3 down LB? Does he play MLB or OLB?

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Josh Stamer (BUF) - What's the status on this guy? Does he have a chance to make the starting lineup now with their LB shuffle with Fletcher leaving?

I can't seem to find any place with current info on the above guys so I was hoping I could get some knowledge.

I trust you predrafted these guys, right Ben?

 

[lord_helmet]

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.Bryan Thomas is an OLB. No matter what some of the local beat writers and depth charts say, Thomas played the vast majority of his 06 snaps as a stand up 3-4 OLB. There's nothing broken other than the depth charts and they should be fixed this year. Thomas' play steadily improved all year long. Unless he gets complacent with new contract in hand, he shouldn't have much trouble matching his 06 statlines. Unfortunately, they won't be nearly as impressive in the IDP rankings as a LB.

Is the 'fixing' of the depth charts a sure thing?Will the jets fix it or will some or all of the FF sites?I sure dont want him on my squad as a LB.Need to know as I have to do cuts and contracts by midnight tomorrow

There is no sure things in these matters. I'm guessing they will fix it and rightfully so, can't imagine the Jets PR department doing a poor job of properly updating their official website depth chart 2 years in a row.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I guess I should also throw in Freddie Keiaho. Is he really gonna take over for June? They say Keiaho is similar to June in his speed and tenacity. Is he the replacement or are they expected to bring in a FA or rookie?

Unlikely that they replace Cato June with a FA, even if the FA comes more cheaply. I think it's reasonable to expect the Colts to bring in a rookie LB or two. If June leaves and they choose not to re-sign Rob Morris, they'll be two starters short and they'll need bodies. There are plenty of Tampa-2 OLB types available in the draft in the early rounds -- Jon Beason, Rufus Alexander, and a few other lesser known guys who look like good fits.Dungy is on record this off-season as saying that Freddy Keiaho is capable of playing the Will role (see quote below). Veteran Tyjuan Hagler may be in the mix as well, but it looks like Keiaho has the inside track for now.

If June were to leave, Dungy said one option would be Freddy Keiaho, the team’s third-round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.

“Freddy could play there,” Dungy said. “Freddy’s going to be an excellent player for us, and the times that he got to play, he did a great job.

“He could be one guy we’d look at for sure.”

 

[Jene Bramel]

Bryan Thomas - Is he moving to OLB in the 3-4 or does he stay as a DE? THe guy had 8.5 sacks as a DE last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Bryan Thomas is an OLB. No matter what some of the local beat writers and depth charts say, Thomas played the vast majority of his 06 snaps as a stand up 3-4 OLB. There's nothing broken other than the depth charts and they should be fixed this year. Thomas' play steadily improved all year long. Unless he gets complacent with new contract in hand, he shouldn't have much trouble matching his 06 statlines. Unfortunately, they won't be nearly as impressive in the IDP rankings as a LB.

Is the 'fixing' of the depth charts a sure thing?Will the jets fix it or will some or all of the FF sites?

I sure dont want him on my squad as a LB.

Need to know as I have to do cuts and contracts by midnight tomorrow

There is no sure things in these matters. I'm guessing they will fix it and rightfully so, can't imagine the Jets PR department doing a poor job of properly updating their official website depth chart 2 years in a row.

I agree.Since it wasn't corrected from the first mini-camps through the playoffs, nothing is certain from a depth chart perspective. I think most of these issues have been "corrected" the following season, but it's completely dependent on the competence/interest of those that the put the depth charts together.

 

[Donnybrook]

Nathan Vasher - Why was Chicago searching for secondary help so badly? Vasher was in the pro-bowl 2 years ago. Has he regressed in his abilities?

As well, both Tillman and Vasher are entering contract years in 2007.

 

[Rovers]

Most sites use the NFL.com depth chart as their determining factor on what a player's listed position is, which is what MFL does. Even the NY press was whining about Mangini supplying only an alphabetical player listing last year instead of a depth chart. I'm sure he will do the same thing again. In his mind, that would mean naming starters, and he wants to make every player think they could be benched unless they continue to outplay their competition at their respective positions.

So, the PR dept will do the depth chart again. I give it a 50-50 shot that they change the D to a 3-4. In any case, it won't change until shortly before the season starts, if it does in fact change. This makes drafting Thomas a bit of a gamble.

 

[PhillyStars]

Jene/guys,

Can we also add Keyaron Fox , LB KC to this mix>

I have been trying to get some info but no action on the thread

Thx