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NFC East IDP Sleepers
Well, it would probably be easy to forget about this series now that it has been interrupted twice. Now that Brett Favre has retired (right?) and DeAngelo Hall has been traded, though, maybe I can finally slog my way through the final few divisions in succession.
My choices for this division have changed quite a bit since free agency opened up, and just one of the four original candidates I wrote down remains on my list. Despite the changes, though, the strength of each player's prospects varies greatly.
Dallas – Anthony Spencer, OLB
My first thought for the Cowboys is nobody, but there is a chance for Spencer. It certainly hurts his value that he doesn't line up as a starter, and it further impedes the second-year player that the starter ahead of him is the 2007 league comeback player of the year.
Greg Ellis returned from a career-threatening leg injury to put up 12.5 sacks last season and earn a trip to the Pro Bowl. However, he’ll also turn 33 in August and has missed 13 starts over the past two seasons. Ellis is a constant threat to hit IR at this point, which keeps Spencer on the verge of starting at all times. Obviously, if Ellis stays healthy, Spencer’s IDP impact will be limited.
In limited duty as a rookie, Spencer compiled three sacks and forced two fumbles. Those numbers are bound to get better with more experience, especially if he can get on the field more. And, of course, anyone who lines up on that left side will enjoy the benefit of opposing offenses worrying about DeMarcus Ware on every pass.
N.Y. Giants – Gerris Wilkinson, WLB
There’s a reason that the Giants just let Kawika Mitchell walk away after one year starting on the weak side. Coaches have reportedly liked the third-year player from Georgia Tech for a while. Of course, there’s also a reason that Mitchell was even signed last year.
After playing in all 16 games and starting two as a rookie, Wilkinson garnered nary a start in his second year. He saw his total of 22 solo tackles from 2006 drop by more than half. He didn’t take down a quarterback or force a single turnover.
Still, the coaches have ostensibly seen enough to give the kid a shot in 2008, at least unless the plan is to draft a new starter for the position in April. Wilkinson flashed tremendous speed in his limited 2007 action, including covering Randy Moss tightly into the end zone in Week 17. That could translate into some big-play ability over a full season, especially in a division that likes to throw to its tight ends.
It’s tough to count on Wilkinson at this point, but he’s certainly worth a flier.
Philadelphia – Stewart Bradley, MLB
I remember last spring, sometime shortly after the draft, when I told a fellow Eagles fan that he was a homer for picking Bradley in the rookie draft of his keeper league. I figured that Bradley would be hard-pressed to crack the lineup and that even if he did, he wouldn’t put up numbers on the strong side, which is what he came out of college as. Boy, was I wrong.
A couple of months later, Jeremiah Trotter got cut, leaving Omar Gaither and Bradley as the main competitors in the middle. Although it was Gaither who held the job through nearly the whole season, Bradley started against the Saints in Week 16 and showed what he can do. His five solo tackles, sack, pass breakup and interception constituted a tremendous fantasy week, first NFL start or 100th.
Now, the Eagles have jettisoned veteran weakside starter Takeo Spikes, clearing the way for either Bradley or Akeem Jordon to join the lineup for good. Considering this defense has had plenty of trouble at times with staying stout up the middle against the run, I see a new 254-pound middle man as the perfect solution. Bradley might leave the field on some passing downs in favor of the smaller, faster guys, but he should also easily reach 100 tackles.
Washington – Reed Doughty, FS
This one might be even weaker than Dallas’.
As we all know, Doughty won his job after Sean Taylor’s tragic death, and he might get replaced by the end of April. I’ve seen no indication that the Washington coaches love him at the back of the defense, but this draft class is weak at safety.
Doughty contributed marginal numbers in 2007, breaking up just two passes in his six starts. Still, the experience -- it was just his second season and his first chance to start -- is bound to help, and playing next to an emerging talent in LaRon Landry and some solid corners won’t hurt either. If Jason Campbell and his receivers can get acquainted with each other under the new regime, maybe Washington could put a little more pressure on opponents to score as well, which would lead to more passing.
Even if all that works in his favor, though, Doughty looks like little more than a potential waiver pickup in most leagues.
Matt Schauf is the senior fantasy football writer and an associate editor for SportsBuff.com. E-mail him at matt.schauf@sportsbuff.com.
http://www.profantasysports.com/easycite/ros.php?PID=9258
Well, it would probably be easy to forget about this series now that it has been interrupted twice. Now that Brett Favre has retired (right?) and DeAngelo Hall has been traded, though, maybe I can finally slog my way through the final few divisions in succession.
My choices for this division have changed quite a bit since free agency opened up, and just one of the four original candidates I wrote down remains on my list. Despite the changes, though, the strength of each player's prospects varies greatly.
Dallas – Anthony Spencer, OLB
My first thought for the Cowboys is nobody, but there is a chance for Spencer. It certainly hurts his value that he doesn't line up as a starter, and it further impedes the second-year player that the starter ahead of him is the 2007 league comeback player of the year.
Greg Ellis returned from a career-threatening leg injury to put up 12.5 sacks last season and earn a trip to the Pro Bowl. However, he’ll also turn 33 in August and has missed 13 starts over the past two seasons. Ellis is a constant threat to hit IR at this point, which keeps Spencer on the verge of starting at all times. Obviously, if Ellis stays healthy, Spencer’s IDP impact will be limited.
In limited duty as a rookie, Spencer compiled three sacks and forced two fumbles. Those numbers are bound to get better with more experience, especially if he can get on the field more. And, of course, anyone who lines up on that left side will enjoy the benefit of opposing offenses worrying about DeMarcus Ware on every pass.
N.Y. Giants – Gerris Wilkinson, WLB
There’s a reason that the Giants just let Kawika Mitchell walk away after one year starting on the weak side. Coaches have reportedly liked the third-year player from Georgia Tech for a while. Of course, there’s also a reason that Mitchell was even signed last year.
After playing in all 16 games and starting two as a rookie, Wilkinson garnered nary a start in his second year. He saw his total of 22 solo tackles from 2006 drop by more than half. He didn’t take down a quarterback or force a single turnover.
Still, the coaches have ostensibly seen enough to give the kid a shot in 2008, at least unless the plan is to draft a new starter for the position in April. Wilkinson flashed tremendous speed in his limited 2007 action, including covering Randy Moss tightly into the end zone in Week 17. That could translate into some big-play ability over a full season, especially in a division that likes to throw to its tight ends.
It’s tough to count on Wilkinson at this point, but he’s certainly worth a flier.
Philadelphia – Stewart Bradley, MLB
I remember last spring, sometime shortly after the draft, when I told a fellow Eagles fan that he was a homer for picking Bradley in the rookie draft of his keeper league. I figured that Bradley would be hard-pressed to crack the lineup and that even if he did, he wouldn’t put up numbers on the strong side, which is what he came out of college as. Boy, was I wrong.
A couple of months later, Jeremiah Trotter got cut, leaving Omar Gaither and Bradley as the main competitors in the middle. Although it was Gaither who held the job through nearly the whole season, Bradley started against the Saints in Week 16 and showed what he can do. His five solo tackles, sack, pass breakup and interception constituted a tremendous fantasy week, first NFL start or 100th.
Now, the Eagles have jettisoned veteran weakside starter Takeo Spikes, clearing the way for either Bradley or Akeem Jordon to join the lineup for good. Considering this defense has had plenty of trouble at times with staying stout up the middle against the run, I see a new 254-pound middle man as the perfect solution. Bradley might leave the field on some passing downs in favor of the smaller, faster guys, but he should also easily reach 100 tackles.
Washington – Reed Doughty, FS
This one might be even weaker than Dallas’.
As we all know, Doughty won his job after Sean Taylor’s tragic death, and he might get replaced by the end of April. I’ve seen no indication that the Washington coaches love him at the back of the defense, but this draft class is weak at safety.
Doughty contributed marginal numbers in 2007, breaking up just two passes in his six starts. Still, the experience -- it was just his second season and his first chance to start -- is bound to help, and playing next to an emerging talent in LaRon Landry and some solid corners won’t hurt either. If Jason Campbell and his receivers can get acquainted with each other under the new regime, maybe Washington could put a little more pressure on opponents to score as well, which would lead to more passing.
Even if all that works in his favor, though, Doughty looks like little more than a potential waiver pickup in most leagues.
Matt Schauf is the senior fantasy football writer and an associate editor for SportsBuff.com. E-mail him at matt.schauf@sportsbuff.com.
http://www.profantasysports.com/easycite/ros.php?PID=9258
