The IDP Dynasty Impact of Telvin Smith Sitting Out the 2019 Season

Steve Schulz Posted On May 16, 2019

The IDP fantasy football world was sent reeling last week when Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith announced via Instagram that he would not play during the 2019 season.

Smith posted this:

“It was said to me from a great coach, that in order for the man to be his best, he must get his world in order. At this time I must take time away from this game & get my world in order. I must give this time back to myself, my family, & my health. I appreciate all the support I will & will not get. I just ask y’all to respect my decision to not play football this season. I know the rumors of trade talk came about, but I started my career in Jacksonville & the day I do decided [sic] to call it quits it will be right here in Duval. I love y’all & even in my time off it’s #10toesdwn ya feel me!!! Love!”

The star linebacker also posted a video where he declared: “Understand this, I never left Duval. I’m never leaving Duval. It’s Duval til we die. You understand me?”

Duval is the county where Jacksonville is located and is used by Jaguars fans to refer to the team’s roots. Perhaps stung by some of the criticism he received for the decision, Smith struck a defiant tone by the start of the weekend.

“Why is it so crazy I want to step away from the game?” he said in a video Saturday. “Y’all just chill. Everything’s solid. You feel me? Stop going crazy. It’s getting aggravating. … Football ain’t everything.”

The team had little to say about Smith’s decision. Coach Doug Marrone expressed concern for his player.

“I kind of put football to the side,” he said. “I think for me, that is an afterthought right now in concern with Telvin. I really believe in my heart that Telvin knows that we are here to support him in any which way.”

So what’s going on here?

The answer is, no one seems to know. What is missing from Smith’s public posts about the situation is the reason he’s stepping away. Yes, he has said it’s so he can get himself, his family and his health in a better place. “Get my world in order,” is how he phrased it.

No one is making allegations of substance abuse or off-the-field problems. It doesn’t appear to be contract-related, either, with Smith two years into a four-year, $45 million contract extension he signed in 2017. That said, there has been apparently no contact between Smith and his coaches this off-season, which seems bizarre if he was really thinking about taking a whole season off.

There was a small dust-up when Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars’ executive vice president, commented about Smith being one of two players who were skipping off-season voluntary workouts. That prompted the league’s union and eventually the league clapping back on Coughlin and reminding him that the workouts are voluntary. But that incident certainly isn’t the root of this, as it came after Smith was already missing from the facility and hardly seems like enough to cause someone to sit out the season.

On the field, no one questions Smith’s ability. Despite not being one of the touted rookies in the class, Smith caught then-Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley’s eye at the 2014 Senior Bowl. That led to the Jags selecting him in the fifth round, and he soon won a role as the team’s weakside linebacker. He recorded 72 solo tackles and 32 assists that year, adding an interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two sacks.

His combined tackle total swelled to 128 the following year, the high water mark of his career until last year, when he eclipsed it with 134 total tackles, including 100 solo tackles. He has a total of 586 total tackles over his career.

In IDP terms, Smith has been rated as one of the best linebackers in the league, and was among the top five linebackers heading into 2019 based on DLF’s IDP rankings.

What should you do with Smith in your dynasty IDP league? Right now is a terrible time to sell him. Most people are assuming the worst, and baking in the possibility that he won’t return to football. This is certainly not a sell-high moment. The frustrating part is the lack of transparency here. Was there an incident that caused this? What will it take to get him back on the field? Will his teammates support him and welcome him back?

As of now, Smith has made it clear he plans to return in 2020.

In fantasy terms, you should treat Smith just like you would a player who suffered a year-ending injury. It will hurt not to have him for the year. There’s still a good chance he could return to form in a year and put up top-five numbers again. But there’s also a chance he will never be the same. It should be noted it’s not like an injury in fantasy football in one significant way: you probably won’t be able to put him on IR, which means you’ll be giving up a roster spot for all of 2019 hoping he returns.

Smith is 28 years old. What is the value of a player who could return and post top five-ten numbers for about five more years, but also could end up being valueless? That sounds a lot like a promising rookie LB, and unless you’re trading him for a rookie linebacker with the first name of Devin, it’s probably wise to hold onto Smith.

As far as replacements, the Jaguars did spend a third-round pick this year on a linebacker, perhaps with this situation in mind. Quincy Williams, brother of Quinnen Williams, is a 5’11”, 239-pound product of Murray State football. Chosen 98th overall in the NFL Draft, he will have a chance to compete for Smith’s snaps. Former Packer Jake Ryan also signed with the Jaguars in the off-season, and could fill a role but needs to stay healthy. A third option is the Jaguars bringing in a veteran replacement, though there’s been no visible movement on that front so far.