IDP General Admission
Posted 12/24 by Dave Baker, Exclusive to Footballguys.com
Jacksonville LB Justin Durant had a tough start to the season and has improved his play. His eight total tackles Sunday against the Colts equaled his season high. 32 year old Mike Peterson is not expected to be with the team next year, especially considering his deteriorating relationship with head Coach Jack Del Rio. With Daryl Smith out, Durant could do well again this week, but the more important question might be what happens next year?...
Some believed this year would be a breakout year for Durant. He's a talented player who was very impressive in spurts in his rookie season. But his numbers, despite starting 11 games thus far, have not exactly overwhelmed. As noted above, though, Peterson appears all but gone next year, so perhaps another year under his belt and an increased role and presence on the field could mean that breakout year that some believed was likely this year...
I've spoke about Dolphins linebacker/lineman Matt Roth a few times in the past here. The 2005 second round draft choice out of Iowa has had enough moments in my eyes to stand out. Unfortunately for his fantasy owners, the numbers have not been as eye-popping. Drafted as a defensive end, that's where Roth played. Until this year. He was moved to linebacker as the Dolphins transitioned to a 3-4 defense...
The move for Roth was partly because he was a bit undersized on the line and also about moving Joey Porter back to the strong side linebacker spot that made him so successful. That opened up a spot and in stepped Roth. What began as a work in progress has moved on to become one of the smarter moves in Head Coach Tony Sparano's career with Miami...
While Roth is far from a high impact IDP, his six sacks have made him a more than reasonable roster spot in most leagues and having only recently turned 26 years old, his best could very well be ahead of him. And while his play has not made a big impact in IDP leagues, it has been bothersome for opposing tight ends facing the physical Roth...
San Francisco defensive end Justin Smith has never been one of those highlight reel guys. Instead, he's simply been a consistent force on the field, getting some sacks here and there and plenty of tackles. From an IDP perspective, this season has epitomized Justin's consistency, as you can pretty much ink smith in for 75-80 total tackles and six or seven sacks...
Drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft out of Missouri, there were plenty of high expectations placed upon Smith's broad shoulders as he entered the NFL. While he remains one of the league's most proficient at gathering tackles for a lineman, some have thought he was a disappointment since he has never broken the magical double digit mark in sacks...
This year, in his first season with San Francisco, Smith was recently named the team's MVP, otherwise called the Bill Walsh award, which is voted on buy the coaching staff. When the season started, then-coach Mike Nolan moved Smith around a bit to take advantage of his versatility. He played all linebacker positions in their 3-4 alignment, as well as all positions on the line. That strategy didn't seem to work so well for Smith...
In came new coach Mike Singletary. Now, Smith is a mainstay as their right defensive end in their 3-4, and he'll move to right defensive tackle on passing downs. He has 3.5 sacks in his last four games. Smith has gone public with his endorsement of Singletary to remain head coach next season. If the team is lucky enough to find a better end opposite Smith, it could lead to even better numbers and at 29 years old, Smith is in his prime...
OK, I may be far from prophetic, but I've written a few times here about Jason Jones, Titans defensive tackle, and last week I mentioned how he should be able to step up for the injured Albert Haynesworth. The end result? Jones, a rookie drafted out of Eastern Michigan in the second round, indeed stepped up with 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 4-1 tackles. His first forced fumble came in the first quarter of a scoreless game with driving to the Tennessee seven yard line. Ben Roethlisberger reached the one yard line before being hit by Jones, causing a fumble recovered by the Titans. This is definitely a guy to keep tabs on...
Until next year...
Please e-mail me with any comments or suggestions at baker@footballguys.com.
