Who is Dontrelle Inman?
One of the most satisfying aspects of owning a team in a dynasty league is finding a player who comes out of nowhere to become fantasy relevant. Remember when nobody knew if Marques Colston was a wide receiver or tight end because most had never heard of him before? Danny Woodhead and Julian Edelman went from obscurity to PPR starters. Victor Cruz was a waiver wire add as a second-year receiver, and even then only after a strong 2011 preseason. This week’s featured player, Dontrelle Inman, had just as much anonymity until week 16 of the 2014 season.Can his end-of-season success carry over into the 2015 season?
The now 26-year old Inman started his collegiate football career at the University of Virginia (UVA) back in 2007. Though he entered UVA as one of the top safety prospects in the nation, he was recruited to catch passes. As a freshman, he played in all thirteen games and caught seventeen of them for 181 yards. The next two seasons, Inman nearly disappeared on offense and played primarily on special teams as he totaled ten receptions for 102 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons. Aside from missing two games due to injury at the beginning of the 2009 season, health was not a factor in Inman’s low usage as a wide receiver. He finally reappeared in the passing game as a senior, catching 51 passes for 815 yards and three touchdowns.
The 6’3, 200-pound wide receiver did not attend the 2011 NFL Combine. At his Pro Day, it was apparent that he wouldn’t have belonged. Beyond a 6.53-second 3-cone drill, which would have ranked him sixth among wide receivers, he wouldn’t have placed in the top ten in any categories. This unimpressive performance, combined with under 1,100 receiving yards and 80 receptions in his college career, kept Inman off draft boards.
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To his credit, he provides a team with height and respectable speed (4.47 40-yard dash) at the wide receiver position. He is a versatile player, with experience on defense and special teams, increasing his chances at sticking on an active roster. Despite his age, he is still raw as a receiver and has flashed playmaking ability, both in the CFL and NFL.
On the downside, though he has worked to improve his route running, the skill is a weakness given his limited route tree. Though tall, he also has a thin build. Perhaps the biggest detriment to Inman’s value was the lack of on-field production at college. Being largely invisible until his senior season raises question marks regarding whether his only strong season statistically was a result of his talent or circumstance.
Jacksonville took a flier and signed him prior to training camp in 2011, but after playing in all of their preseason games he was one of the final roster cuts. Instead, the Blaine Gabbert-led Jaguars chose to go with the likes of Mike Thomas, Taylor Price and Kassim Osgood behind Cecil Shorts. That he couldn’t crack the opening day roster speaks volumes about either the Jaguars’ talent evaluators or Inman’s perceived lack of skill on the football field.
After he did not garner any interest around the NFL, Inman chose to sign with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In his first season, he posted similar numbers to his final season at UVA, catching 50 passes for 803 yards and five scores en route to helping the Argonauts win the championship. The following year, he again caught 50 passes (for 739 yards and six touchdowns) while he also served as the team’s punter in one game. The “dual threat” was granted his release in December 2013 to pursue NFL opportunities with a couple productive seasons on his resume.
His plan came to fruition as he signed with San Diego in early January. A strong showing in the preseason guaranteed Inman a spot on the 53-man roster, though he didn’t even receive a target until his seven-reception, 79-yard game on December 20. Helping the Chargers win in overtime, Inman earned another chance to shine in Keenan Allen’s absence and turned it into five receptions for another 79 yards in week seventeen.
Heading into 2015, Inman finds himself in a crowded situation. Of the seven wide receivers on the Chargers’ roster, three (Inman, Malcom Floyd and Austin Pettis) are signed through 2015 only. Allen, Jacoby Jones and Torrence Allen are all signed through 2016, while the contract for recent signee Stevie Johnson will expire after 2017. The additions of Johnson and Jones cloud a depth chart that had slightly cleared following the departure of Eddie Royal, not to mention the presences of the ageless Antonio Gates and ever-promising Ladarius Green.
Should all these players remain with the team, and pending the acquisition of another wideout in the draft, Inman will again need injuries to plague his competition in order to be fantasy relevant. Given his low salary, special teams abilities and flashes of upside in limited action on offense, he still has a good shot at the 53-man roster. However, with several players with similar skill sets (including Inman) how this all shakes out will likely not be determined until preseason games begin.
Aside from the wide receiver position, the Chargers have many question marks on offense. Always looking for offensive line upgrades, there are rumors of San Diego’s interest in drafting Marcus Mariota and trading Philip Rivers, as well as Rivers’ continued success despite his supporting cast, the noise around both of these possibilities continues. Add in that Branden Oliver is currently atop the running back depth chart and it is clear many changes are looming for this offense.
Though he could have some flex value if given the opportunity (as evidenced by his late season relevance in 2014), Inman just does not have that chance or the talent to create that opportunity for himself. At best, he’s the fifth receiving option on a team that may be making a change at quarterback. For now, leave him on waiver wires and take your fliers on players with more upside.
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