Faceoff - DB Deon Grant, Seattle Seahawks

Posted 8/3, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Jene Bramel

Although offensive players can sometimes gain (or lose) fantasy value when changing teams, IDPs are still more sensitive to changes in value when they move from team to team, must adjust to a change in defensive philosophy or both. IDP owners who read between the lines and correctly identify the big winners (and losers) after the depth charts settle when the offseason player movement ends can find ways to drastically improve their rosters without investing high draft picks, free agent dollars or overpaying in trade.

Deon Grant is a good candidate to join that "once an afterthought, now a very good IDP" fraternity in 2007. While Grant has never been anything special in the boxscore -- only one season among the top 50 defensive backs in FBG standard scoring -- he has the skill set to be a solid two way safety. Grant has been one of the more productive safeties in the league in the coverage columns, averaging more than two interceptions and ten passes defended a season over his five year career. Had Grant been able to put up average tackle numbers for a safety, he would have every week starting value.

Grant was limited in Jacksonville by his role as the primary coverage safety in the Jaguar defense in recent seasons. With one of the better run stuffing front sevens in the league, Jacksonville defensive coordinator was able to use a complicated mix of zone coverages and often had Grant off the line of scrimmage without run support responsibility. Even a solid in-the-box safety like Donovin Darius was unable to provide consistent week-to-week tackle numbers for the Jaguars.

It isn't yet clear exactly how the Seahawks plan to align in the secondary, but a number of things suggest that Grant could find himself in a better position to make tackles. First, with Brian Russell also a new member of the Seahawk secondary, Grant may line up at SS or an interchangeable right-left safety alignment that would give him more run support duty than he has previously had. Second, even should Grant play a more traditional free safety role, the previous Seahawk free safety, Ken Hamlin, had two seasons of 75 or more solo tackles over the past four years while still contributing good coverage numbers. Third, with Marcus Trufant expected to be fully healthy, Kelly Jennings expected to upgrade the CB2 position and Patrick Kerney likely to improve the Seahawk pass rush, Grant may not have to play as much zone coverage as he did in Jacksonville. More run support opportunity and less roving coverage responsibility should result in a sizable increase in Grant's tackle stats over his historical norms.

It's hard to argue that Grant will generate DB2 quality numbers in 2007 when he has yet to produce any fantasy value in his five year career. But the change in scenery looks promising and the upside for increased IDP value is clearly there. Grant can very likely be had for a minimal investment. If he breaks out, your roster gets a big boost. If he disappoints again, he becomes an easy cut. There isn't another minimal risk-high reward player like Grant among the 2007 defensive back crop. Look to roster him late and hope he produces as Hamlin did in previous seasons.

Downside - by Bob Magaw

The Seahawks were smart to bring ex-CAR/JAX FS Grant on board. The deep secondary has been an Achilles heel in recent years with the blown coverages of since departed Ken Hamlin and regressing Michael Boulware, and he was identified as a high priority target in the free agency period.

He has been a ballhawk and flashed playmaking skills, averaging 3 INTs per season over his six year career. Grant has excellent size for a FS at 6'2" 210. He also has nice pedigree (2.26 - '00), and has been very durable and resilient, with no DNPs in 96 possible games extending back to his rookie season.

The former Crimson Tide DB has posted modest tackle numbers in his pro career (he was just DB #92 in FBG scoring last season). Tackles could be limited even further with an outstanding LB trio (Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson and Leroy Hill) in front of him.

Even if he unexpectedly lines up at SS as was recently reported, with fellow free agent Brian Russell deployed at FS, it may be hard for Grant to be a difference maker unless he makes a lot of big plays... which could happen. The NFC West has been known to have a penchant for slinging the ball all over the field (a recent history of porous defenses has been a driving force in this trend).

Yet the respective NFC Wild Wild West passing attacks could play with more discipline looking towards the '07 season, with some ascendant teams on the horizon. The Rams Pro Bowl QB Marc Bulger ended a run of seeming perennial 20+ INT seasons in the Martz era with a phenomenal 24 passing TD to 8 INT ratio in the first year implementing rookie HC Scott Linehan's new scheme, and could have upside in his second year (armed with a new six year contract extension, making him one of a handful of QBs to make $10 million a season). Third year SF QB and former #1 overall pick Alex Smith turned the corner last year and is playing much smarter and more effectively now that the game has started to slow down for him, and the team has added legit #1 WR Darrell Jackson and will have a healthy Vernon Davis returning, one of the fastest TE prospects in league history. Promising ARI QB Matt Leinart should develop as he matures, and he will be better protected by incoming rookie HC Ken Whisenhunt's scheme, with an emphasis on an improved OL and running game (he already compiled some impressive red zone passing numbers as a rookie).

Recent news indicates Grant could be moving to SS this season. If so, this could cause his productivity and attendant IDP value to surge, relative to his initial rankings (prior to the revelation of the role switch with the Seahawks). That said, FBG IDP hondo Jene Bramel cautioned that in the SEA scheme the SS and FS responsibilities are largely interchangeable.