NEWS AND NOTES
The team-by-team notes will return soon. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm working through a mid-season tier update by position.
- Joey Bosa made his debut last week and it was a good one. The Chargers regularly put him in position to succeed. Instead of using him as a 5-technique on base downs, Bosa was aligned as a 7-technique pass rusher on nickel downs. He showed his mature technique with a mix of edge and bull rushes, as well as an ability to counter and get skinny with inside moves. It was a great start but he'll have to prove himself against better competition. He didn't recognize chip blocks at times and did not face double teams. If the Chargers continue to get him isolated on the edge 40 snaps a game, his rookie season may be more productive than most.
- Vic Beasley Jr gained more and more confidence and last week's game progressed. Matched against two well-below-average right tackles in Denver and a rookie quarterback, Beasley showed why the Falcons should put him on the edge and let him rush. His first step and edge rush were dominant -- as he showed at times in college. Unfortunately, the Falcons still used him to take on blocks and drop into coverage on early downs. Hopefully, his performance as an edge rusher will force the coaching staff to switch his role with Brooks Reed.
- Elandon Roberts attracted a lot of attention this week for the Patriots, particularly for a play where he destroyed Cleveland's Joe Thomas at the point of attack and used him to tackle Isaiah Crowell behind the line of scrimmage. He has had the attention of Bill Belichick for awhile, too, and will likely continue to see time in rotation. Listed at just 223 pounds, Roberts showed an ability to dominate with leverage and good recognition in coverage and against the run. He's not going to take over for Dont'a Hightower or Jamie Collins anytime soon -- barring injury -- but he's going to make snap counts messy.
POSITIONAL TIERS
We're three weeks into the regular season and getting a much better sense of schemes, depth charts, and player production. There's still time for disappointing players to turn their season around or fairy tale trends to turn back into pumpkins. But that becomes less and less likely after 3-4 weeks of data.
These tiers will not be as extensive as my offseason tiers. During the season, I put players into three categories: Matchup Independent Starters, Matchup Dependent Plays, and Priority Watch List. Dynasty league owners should have an additional category: Stashes you must keep on your roster. In deeper leagues, the matchup dependent list will obviously need to be longer.
This week: Defensive Back
Defensive Back TIERS
Matchup Independent Every-Week Safeties
Reshad Jones, Barry Church, Tony Jefferson, Landon Collins, Karl Joseph, Antoine Bethea, Harrison Smith, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Reggie Nelson, T.J. Ward, Keanu Neal, Tyrann Mathieu (Hold), Kenny Vaccaro, Johnathan Cyprien, Andrew Sendejo, Mike Adams, Kam Chancellor, Eric Weddle, Clayton Geathers, Rodney McLeod
Primary Streaming Options / Watch List
Kemal Ishmael (until LBs healthy), Ibraheim Campbell (may move up again soon), Duke Iheancho, Adrian Amos, D.J. Swearinger Sr, Eric Berry, T.J. McDonald, Devin McCourty, Calvin Pryor
Every-Week Cornerbacks
Logan Ryan, Robert Alford, Casey Hayward, Lamarcus Joyner, Morris Claiborne, Trumaine Johnson (inj), E.J. Gaines
Dynasty Watch List
Vonn Bell, Jaquiski Tartt, Sean Davis, Justin Simmons
EVERY-DOWN LINEBACKER PROJECTIONs
Additions to the every-down column in BOLD. Injury situations to monitor this week in italics.
|
TEAM
|
EVERY-DOWN LB
|
75-100% SNAPS
|
INJ | SUSP
|
NOTES
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ARIZONA
|
Markus Golden | |||
|
ATLANTA
|
Deion Jones |
|
DeVondre Campbell, Paul Worrilow, Sean Weatherspoon (IR) | |
|
BALTIMORE
|
C.J. Mosley : Zachary Orr
|
|
||
|
BUFFALO
|
|
|||
|
CAROLINA
|
||||
|
CHICAGO
|
Michael Floyd | |||
|
CINCINNATI
|
|
Still close to four way rotation | ||
|
CLEVELAND
|
Demario Davis : Chris Kirksey
|
|
||
|
DALLAS
|
Durant and Hitchens continue to rotate
|
|||
|
DENVER
|
||||
|
DETROIT
|
DeAndre Levy | |||
|
GREEN BAY
|
none
|
|
Base - dime rotation among ILBs
|
|
|
HOUSTON
|
Brian Cushing |
|
|
|
|
INDIANAPOLIS
|
D'Qwell Jackson |
|
Trent Cole (IR) | |
|
JACKSONVILLE
|
||||
|
KANSAS CITY
|
|
Justin Houston (PUP)
|
||
|
LOS ANGELES
|
||||
|
MIAMI
|
|
Jelani Jenkins, Koa Misi (IR)
|
|
|
|
MINNESOTA
|
||||
|
NEW ENGLAND
|
Jamie Collins
|
|||
|
NEW ORLEANS
|
Nate Stupar |
Ellerbe may replace Robertson when healthy
|
||
|
NEW YORK GIANTS
|
none |
|
||
|
NEW YORK JETS
|
Lee and Henderson 100% if Harris out
|
|||
|
OAKLAND
|
Cory James, Malcolm Smith
|
Ben Heeney (IR) | ||
|
PHILADELPHIA
|
|
Jordan Hicks : Nigel Bradham |
|
|
|
PITTSBURGH
|
Ryan Shazier | |||
|
SAN DIEGO
|
|
Denzel Perryman, Manti Te'o (IR) | ||
|
SAN FRANCISCO
|
Michael Wilhoite | NaVorro Bowman (IR) | ||
|
SEATTLE
|
||||
|
TAMPA BAY
|
||||
|
TENNESSEE
|
||||
|
WASHINGTON
|
Subscribe to The Audible on iTunes or download our weekly IDP podcast here every Thursday for injury updates, player analysis, and matchup discussion. Follow and ask questions on Twitter @JeneBramel.
