32 Teams, 32 IDP Questions: AFC East
At this point of the NFL off-season there tend to be a lot more questions than answers. Nowhere is this truer than on the defensive side of the ball. I always say the two most nerve racking times for IDP owners are the week after the regular season ends and Draft weekend. The week after the season ends, or “Black Monday” as it has come to be known, leads to coaching changes, which leads to defensive scheme changes, which can turn a legit IDP squad into a hot mess overnight. Draft weekend can also wreak havoc on IDP rosters when players are unexpectedly drafted to teams who weren’t expected to add talent at the position. Usually this only affects the fringe talent at the linebacker position, guys like Paul Worrilow.
In the “32 Teams, 32 IDP Questions” we’re going to break down each NFL division, team by team, and ask the most pressing IDP questions facing each club. It may deal with overall scheme changes, position battles or draft related strategy. Today’s focus is the AFC East.
[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]
Buffalo Bills
“What will the transition to a 4-3 defense mean for Preston Brown and 2016 first round pick Reggie Ragland?”
A lot can change between now and week one, but early word is Reggie Ragland will get first opportunity to claim the MIKE linebacker position on coach Sean McDermott’s defense. Ragland was selected in the first round of last year’s draft and looked to be a great fit in Rex Ryan’s 3-4 defense as an imposing run thumper. Playing in the middle where he’ll have more coverage responsibilities may not necessarily be a good thing. While he’ll deny it all day long, coverage is not what got him drafted. He’ll have to prove he can play all three downs at the NFL level while being a year removed from a torn ACL.
The man providing the competition will be Preston Brown. The Ryan brother loved Preston Brown and was a big time producer in their 3-4 defense last year while wearing the green dot as the team’s defensive play caller. He’ll be asked to slide to the outside, most likely at the weak side where he’ll maintain solid IDP value. One interesting note to come from Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo, a credible Bills beat writer, is he believes Brown could be available for trade. He’s just 24 years old and coming off of a productive season with one year left on his rookie deal. The price to acquire him shouldn’t be excessive but I don’t see how the Bills trade him with their linebacker group as paper thin as it is.
Miami Dolphins
“Will Lawrence Timmons’ signing with the Dolphins have a positive or negative impact on his IDP value?”
Looking at Timmons’ dynasty ranking on the DLF linebackers list is interesting. He’s currently our LB39 overall with a high of LB26 by me and a low of LB58 by Alex Onushco who feels like he’s “just a two down thumper at this point of his career”. I think he has a bit more left to his game than that but I agree he is a diminishing asset at age 30. 2016 was a good year for Timmons who finished with 108 total tackles, three sacks and a pair of interceptions as a do-it-all linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 defense. Now, he’ll most likely man the middle of Miami’s 4-3 defense while kicking Kiko Alonso to the weak side in an effort to keep him healthier much like the Cowboys did with Sean Lee. I think it’s actually a really smart idea for all involved.
With Ndamukong Suh up front wreaking havoc and keeping lineman out of the second level, Timmons should be able to rack up the tackles with Alonso and Reshad Jones. I don’t think the move to South Beach hurts his IDP value but I don’t really think it drastically increases either because of the competition for tackles he’ll have. For example, Suh had 72 tackles from the defensive tackle position last year. I believe Timmons stays right in that fringe LB2/LB3 range for the next couple of years.
New York Jets
“Will Sheldon Richardson be traded this offseason to make way for Leonard Williams?”
With more and more teams moving to 3-4 defenses it wouldn’t surprise me to see Richardson moved on draft weekend. The Jets have to find a quarterback and their best trading chip is Richardson, even with his off the field problems. The Jets reportedly want a first round pick but may end up settling for a third. If they really want to move him they shouldn’t have an issue finding a suitor as long as they’re realistic with their asking price since their hand has been shown. Quite frankly, he’s a beast. At 26 years old he has plenty of his prime left and could benefit from a change of scenery. If he were to go to a 4-3 defense he’d be moved to defensive tackle and would immediately shoot up the rankings in DT-premium leagues.
If the Jets end up keeping Richardson he’ll maintain his current status as a DE2 and drag both Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson down with him as they continue their effective, albeit frustrating, rotation. Williams and Wilkerson would both be DE1’s if Richardson moves on, so as IDP owners we should be pulling for his trade sooner than later.
New England Patriots
“How good can Elandon Roberts be as an IDP asset?”
Elandon Roberts has picked up a lot of steam among the IDP community after Jamie Collins was dealt to the Cleveland Browns last season. He was reportedly the reason the Patriots were willing to deal their best linebacker in the middle of a championship run. While he did flash throughout the season, he lacked week to week consistency, much like other Patriots defenders. Truth is, the Patriots scheme everything from week to week so it’s incredibly difficult to predict who is going to produce and who is going be asked to drop into coverage all game. In my opinion, that’s what was so impressive about Collins while he was in New England. He seemed to be the only Patriots player you could count on and I don’t think Roberts is on the same level. I fear he’s the type of player who will always have his best game while on your bench.
Follow me on Twitter @OlingerIDP.
[/am4show]
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Seven - October 24, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Six - October 16, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Five - October 10, 2018
