IDP Spotlight: ILB Will Witherspoon, St. Louis Rams

  Posted 8/8 by David Baker, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Will Witherspoon, who comes from a military family, was a third round draft pick by the Panthers in the 2002 NFL draft and has played an important role on his team ever since. Witherspoon is versatile enough to play both middle linebacker and on the weakside. He came to the Rams via free agency, and he's currently playing in the middle for the team. Witherspoon has been a top ten IDP linebacker for three of the last four years and led the Rams last year with seven sacks. Many believe Witherspoon was robbed for not being included in the Pro Bowl. So what should we expect for 2008? More of the same is the short answer.

Rams Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett moved Witherspoon to the edge in order to use him as a pass rusher and the strategy paid off with Witherspoon's career high in sacks. A similar strategy is likely in the offing this season, as keeping Witherspoon moving around really capitalizes on his skills. The Rams rely on Witherspoon as they lack depth. Other than Pisa Tinoisamoa, who has had his own difficulty just staying on the field the last two years, the Rams have little else at linebacker. While that's certainly not great news for Rams homers, it allows Witherspoon to scoop up available tackles and stay on the field as much as possible. And Witherspoon's playmaking abilities are not limited exclusively to his sacks, as he has forced or recovered seven fumbles in the last two seasons with the Rams. And Witherspoon also had six interceptions in the prior two seasons playing with Carolina. So while Witherspoon may not lead the NFL in tackles, his playmaking abilities help make him a top tier LB in IDP leagues.

The possible bad news is that a healthy Leonard Little along with rookie stud Chris Long could mean a lesser need for Witherspoon to rush the passer. This argument cuts both ways, though, in that it's possible opposing offensive linemen spend all their energy on the Rams improved D-line, allowing Witherspoon even more access to the quarterback.

Positives

• He's been a consistent force at LB, finishing as a top ten IDP scorer in most leagues for three of the last four seasons and the same should be expected this year
• The Rams are moving him around more and the result has been more sacks
• He's a very athletic player with tremendous sideline to sideline abilities
• He'll be looked upon by the team as their defensive leader and has a combination of speed and strength uncommon in the NFL
• He's only missed one game in his last five seasons

Negatives

• He does not get a ton of tackles compared to other high profile linebackers, so he may rank lower in your league depending on your scoring
• A relative lack of depth surrounding Witherspoon might mean more teams trying to run around him
• Enough changes on both sides of the ball could add variables that mean less production for Witherspoon
  

Final Thoughts

Will Witherspoon is a tremendously valuable IDP linebacker and whoever drafts him will likely be pleased with his production. Sometimes I am a little wary when it comes to guys who rely a bit more on big plays, but Witherspoon's numbers have always remained near the top of the heap at his position and I see no reason for a big change in 2008. He's an iron man of sorts who may not become a LB1 for your squad, but he has some upside and there are certainly worse things you can do than have him as your LB2 or worse.

Quotes from the IDP Spotlight Message Thread

To view the entire thread, click here.

Benny Beaver:
"Using the Zealots scoring system he was 13th and 14th in scoring in his first two seasons with the Rams. He's one of those players that no one will overpay for, so you naturally can call him a value pick player. If he's your 2nd LB you're in good shape. If he's your 3rd LB, you're in great shape. For those in dynasty play, he only turns 28 in August."

Jayrod:
"Witherspoon is a guy whose value is somewhat dependent upon your scoring system. In FBG standard scoring, he finished at LB6 in 2006 & LB9 in 2007. However, in my tackle-heavy league, he was LB16 in 2006 & LB20 in 2007. That's the difference between a #1 LB & a #2 LB. And that means his value can move several rounds in a draft or several dollars in an auction based on how your league scores LBs.

However, he's been consistent over his two years in St. Louis with 116 tackles and 7 big plays in 2006 & 110 tackles and 10 big plays in 2007. The addition of 1st round pick Chris Long and another year for 1st rounder Adam Carriker could help when Witherspoon blitzes, but he may do so less often if the pass rush is more consistent. I think we should see more of the same with Witherspoon this season. He's a big time playmaker with over 100 total tackles/year in St. Louis. He also hasn't missed a game in 2 years with St. Louis (he only missed 1 in '05 & 6 in '02 for Carolina). And with a consistently shaky offense, the Rams D will see the field a lot. Borderline LB1/LB2 depending on your system.

On a side note, he has 0 INTs with St. Louis in 2 seasons but had 4 in one season for Carolina with 7 picks in 4 seasons there. I'd expect him to get at least 1 for the Rams eventually....right?"

e-baller:
"My vague recollection is that he picked up a couple extra sacks towards the end of the year, and either the head coach or defensive coordinator said he wanted to send him after the QB more often on 3rd downs."

Projections

IDP Scoring System

• 1.5 pts per Solo Tackle
• 0.75 pts per Assisted Tackle
• 4 pts per Sack
• 4 pts per Forced Fumble
• 4 pts per Fumble Recovery
• 5 pts per Interception
• 1.5 pts per Pass Defensed
• 6 pts per Touchdown
• 2 pts per Safety