Week 9...

Miami... The driven-up-the-throat-of-a-nightmare-like-tainted-seafood (dolphin?) feel to this season continued with a last second loss to the Cardinals. The coup-de-grace was swiftly and mercifully administered to ex-HC Dave Wannstedt during the bye week break (maybe it legitimately was a resignation as reported). Miami is used to winning, so you knew with a 1-8 record leading in to the bye, the HC was as likely to survive as someone strolling around Salem, Mass. circa late-1600s with a tall, pointy black hat. Compounding the appallingly run of bad luck and worse personnel blunders (and Wanny was the main perp in that department, as he had authority over personnel for most of his tenure until he was stripped of those duties recently) on the offensive side of the ball such as Bong-gate and the Boston fiasco, the defense has not gone unscathed. They had to deal one of their most ascendant young defensive stars in O-Gun, which has impacted on perennial Pro Bowl DE Jason Taylor (only 4 sacks through nine games). Junior Seau has just been put down on IR for the season. Only MLB Zach Thomas has been unaffected by the detritus in the wake of this rapidly disintegrating and destroyed season. Before an uncharacteristic 4 solos Sunday (he did have 10 combo tackles), he was pacing for a ridiculous 162 solos, which would not only shatter his previous high water mark, but would easily be the most solos extending back prior to the 2001 season... a whopping 20-30% surge that swallow up any other league solo tackle leader within that span.

Minnesota... The Vikings have now lost two games in a row, at a point in the season where they imploded last year, wasting a 6-0 start with a 3-7 finish. It isn't even newsworthy when stud CB Antoine Winfield leads the team in tackles... he is tracking for 106 solos, and has nearly 50% more solos than the next closest Viking, rookie WLB/MLB Dontarrious Thomas. In fact, the 53 solos is second among ALL DBs, behind only SS Rodney Harrison, and would be tied for tenth among LINEBACKERS, ahead of legit IDP stars Nick Barnett, Keith Bullock and Keith Brooking. The 106 solos would also represent the top figure since before the 2001 season... hmmmhh... emergent trend or coincidence? MLB E.J. Henderson has returned strong in the two games back from his knee injury, but he tweaked it again (not expected to miss this weeks game), and seems to be dinged a lot, when he is not stomping restaurant line cutters and getting popped for DUIs... though E.J. might be considered somewhat of a choir boy compared to some other employees of the marauders of the frozen Northern dome. Dontarrious Thomas has had a typically up and down rookie season. After being demoted from his starting WLB gig, he filled in capably in Henderson's absence at MLB, possibly well enough to regain the nod at WLB over the chronically banged up Raonall Smith, who makes SLB Chris Claiborne (slightly more resilient and robust than a Faberge Egg) look like Clay Matthews. Smith was pulled after complaining about his second "mild" concussion in three weeks (slacker). DT Kevin Williams is putting together one of the stronger campaigns for any DT in the league, on par with Shaun Rogers (DET), the twin towers Marcus Stroud and John Henderson (JAX) and pre-accident Rod Coleman (ATL)... tied for fourth in solos and pacing all interior linemen with 6 sacks. FS Brian Russell and SS Corey Chavous are still without an INT after a combined 17 in '03... ably demonstrating the capricious nature of season-to-season INT stats unless your last name is Reed.

New England... Those IDP owners fortunate enough to have Rodney Harrison in their lineups the past two seasons are in the advantageous position of being able to roll an extra LB each week... actually, one of the top LBs in the league extra, which his production represents and is equivalent to. At 31 (he'll turn 32 12.15) he is not an age that would normally be considered ideal for dynasty purposes, but it is impossible to argue with his massive production since becoming transplanted to the Pats from the San Diego (Super) Chargers. Possibly lost in the shuffle is that second year FS Eugene Wilson is putting together an outstanding season, though he may need to shift to his more natural CB role if New England continues to be decimated at that position. Despite being forced to start marginal dime back-types against the high octane aerial attack of mad scientist Mike Martz (due to a withering onslaught of CB injuries), the Super Bowl champs put the skids on the longest losing streak they have had in the last season plus... one game. OLB Mike Vrabel gave his owners a boost against the Rams... in addition to a 5 solo effort, he made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone. The recurring theme of cross training also manifested in WR Troy Brown's emergency DB detail, in which he showed some rudimentary coverage chops on the slot receiver. The Patriots are a better team than they are a source of IDP talent... after the top three in solo tackles, eighteen players had 3 solos or less... though ILB Tedy Bruschi, OLB Willie McGinest, as well as DEs Richard Seymour and Ty Warren all had a sack. St. Louis RT Grant "Turnstile" Williams and the struggling Rams O-Line allowed the rush to get to beleaguered and harried QB Marc Bulger often, even when they were only sending three rushers. The Patriots have had problems stopping the run at times this year, giving up 200 yards to both the Colts and Steelers. This week, the Bills are on the itinerary, and are expected to use liberal doses of RB Willis McGahee against the Pats. If the game goes according to form, this should draw Harrison into the box as an eighth run defender, which could avail QB Bledsoe of the opportunity to stretch the field with Eric Moulds and Lee Evans... with the all important caveat/proviso that he is able to stay off his back long enough to do so.

New Orleans... Two weeks in the penalty box for doing the least with the most of maybe any team in the NFL currently. The Saints have given up the most yards (414.9) and points (29.3) per game in the league, and now must face a staccato, rapid fire serving of two explosive offenses... the Chiefs Sunday, with the Broncos on deck. They have all the hallmarks of a team that is adrift and rudderless, unable to cope with divisive forces that assail and buffet them from within. They seem to have a collective lack of urgency, intensity and professionalism, which is hard to not attribute in part to a leadership void. One gets the feeling if QB Aaron Brooks was goofing around and yukking it up in the midst of a brutal self-inflicted loss (as he has often in the past) on a team that had Ray Lewis on it, he would out of self-preservation get a hasty attitude makeover or suffer dire consequences. The team's shockingly consistent inconsistency and seeming failure to be able to get up for must win games ultimately reflects poorly on HC Jim Haslett, and even higher up the chain of command, where the GM infuriated the coaching staff by calling them out and hanging them out to dry. Last seasons disastrous decision to trade two first round picks to move up for DT Jonathan Sullivan has been a catastrophic misfire... word is the New Orleans coaching staff has written him off and would have already released him if not for the dire cap ramifications. With those pick they could have patched several equally pressing holes, and taken two from the following group... LB Nick Barnett, CB Eugene Wilson/Charles Tillman and/or S Mike Doss/Ken Hamlin. This colossal, epic blunder (not as bad as the Bengals a few years ago when they refused a deal with, ironically, Mike Ditka's Saints that would have brought them every pick in their draft... and they still could have used a high first on Daunte Culpepper, instead stubbornly clinging to their pick which they summarily proceeded to burn on uber-bust QB Akili Smith) is analogous to if a captain had a boat in choppy seas that was taking on water, and traded in a couple large buckets that could have been instrumental in bailing the water out, in exchange for one thimble-sized, turkish coffee cup bailing device. Like in maritime/nautical lore, this captain will be going down with his ship. DE Charles Grant had been on fire to commence the season, but has been eerily quiet the past few weeks. Courtney Watson also started his rookie campaign off with a bang, and was an early favorite in this column for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he has had to have fluid drained out of his knee and was out of the lineup recently... he is not on the injury report, but it was not known at time of writing if he will be eased back into his starting MLB job gradually.

New York Giants... There have been three key developments for the Giants defense in '04... Gibril Wilson, Gibril Wilson and Gibril Wilson. The devastating loss of Strahan for the season could mean even more scoring opportunities for the rookie SS. Without as much pressure on the QB, the Giants defense could have a harder time getting off the field. Another possible response to losing Strahan would be to send the rookie SS more often... he seems to have an innate sense of timing and could be one of their most formidable weapons in blitz packages. Strahan and national media have already called him New York's Defensive MVP thus far in the season. Factoring in the case that Wilson didn't start until around the third game of the season (after SS Shaun Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury), if he had been starting since week one, it is possible that his season solo tackle total would be in the neighborhood of Rodney Harrison's turf... he has averaged about 7 solos a game in his six starts, also exhibiting a Johhny-on-the-spot field awareness... his playmaking instincts have been in evidence early and often on his way to 3 sacks and 3 INTs in just the first half of the season (as was noted, less in his case). The '04 draft class could turn out to have an extremely strong safety class... not only the deservedly & justifiably hyped FS Sean Taylor (WAS), or underrated second round talents like FS Bob Sanders (IND), SS Michael Boulware (SEA) and FS/SS Madieu Williams, but also the out-of-nowhere fifth rounders Wilson and SS Erik Coleman (NYJ). While Wilson has without a doubt taken the NFL by storm and been a revelation in the IDP community, he is not without flaws and the Giants will have to endure the almost inevitable growing pains that are the given lot of a rookie safety... by vaulting over the line in the Bears game, he was caught out of position and compromised the integrity of the whole defense, leading to the A-Train's 40+ yard scamper into the end zone after only having to dispatch a lone defender on the edge/sideline with a vintage nasty stiff-arm. With the venerable Strahan out (actually both starting DEs were lost for the rest of the way on Sunday), other players will have to play better and harder to pick up the slack... this could be a time for former first round DT William Joseph and the raw but good looking DE Osi Umenyiora who has flashed big league edge speed and a growing repertoire of pass rush moves and counters in limited stints so far (3 solos and a sack last week. HC Coughlin isn't exactly in the habit of broadcasting his game plan to the national media, but it is thought that the coaching staff is giving thought to more use of a 3-4 alignment, with the possibility of Joseph shifting over to DE. There could also be the spectacle of SLB/DE Reggie Torbor (245 lb) giving up nearly one and a half bills to the monstrous, gargantuan OT Leonard Davis (estimated 380+). WLB Barrett Green will be inactive for the third straight week, and former MLB Nick Greisen will continue to take his place.

New York Jets... With QB Chad Pennington being out 2-4 weeks with a shoulder strain, the spotlight will be on the defense during November, to keep the pressure off interim starter Quincy Carter... after a franchise best 5-0 start, they have now lost two of the last three games. Rookie MLB Jonathan Vilma is not making it easy for HC Herm Edwards and DC Donnie Edwards to replace him once Sam Cowart returns to full strength... he and WLB Eric Barton were all over the field and combined for 20 solos and 8 assists (though Shawn pointed out in this weeks Defensive Upgrades column the huge disparity on the time clock in the Bills game)... the Jets had 13 tackles for a loss or no gain (the most since '96). PFWs ROY watch pointed out that the defense has allowed just 9, 14, 14, 13, 14 and 22 points since the first overall LB selected in the draft (1.12 - '04) was inserted into the starting lineup. The ex-Miami star was disappointed that his ex-teammate, Bills RB Willis McGahee, was able to put up over 100 yards rushing... yet he has done it in all three starts. Vilma is a lot of fun to watch... looking at his body of work in college, one word that captures his chief attribute... INSTINCTIVE. He has a spooky, almost telepathic sense of where the ball is going, and many times arrives at the hole or anticipates the cutback lane ahead of the ballcarrier. Of course, being a prodigious film watcher and voracious student of the game helps feed into the instinct engine. The more well versed he is in team tendencies, the quicker he can make the correct pre-snap keys and reads, recognize the formations, shifts and personnel groupings, and let his cat-quick reflexes and reactions come to the fore. If Vilma doesn't soon become a perennial All Pro, it won't be because he was outworked. At the midway demarcation in the '04 season, Vilma, former teammate DJ Williams (DEN WLB) and aforementioned standout SS Gibril Wilson (NYG) are the early favorites for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Another key to the Jets 180 degree turnaround on defense compared to last season is John Abraham... the Bills game was the first game all season (in which he played) in which he was held without a sack. SS Erik Coleman has been a pleasant surprise... he had 10 tackles (6 solos) after cooling off a bit on his initially torrid start. Some scouts think he is having the second best season among the rookie safeties, after the Giants incandescent talent Wilson.

Philadelphia... Two weeks in the penalty box. It was reported this week that there would be a shakeup in the Eagles starting lineup this week, with former starting MLB Jeremiah Trotter regaining his old job for the first time since the bitter free agency dispute that saw HC Andy Reid cut him... after an interim stint with the Redskins, they subsequently patched things up. Meanwhile, former MLB Mark Simoneau (down the list of the leagues starting MLBs in solo tackles) is sliding over to WLB, bumping underachieving Nate Wayne to the bench. Though it is rare for a 7-1 team to undergo a radical in-season makeover, giving up 250+ yards to the opposition can prompt that kind of reaction from coaches on occasion. The Eagles are a surprisingly mediocre 27th in the NFL against the run. In fairness, points allowed is a far more important stat than yards amassed between the 20s, and they were doing a good job stiffening their resolve earlier in the season, being one of the stingiest teams in the league in the points allowed column. Philly really got taken out in back of the woodshed by the Steelers. Simoneau may not have been the only weak spot in the middle... there have been whispers that former Pro Bowler Corey Simon has been getting overpowered at the POA, and has not been playing like himself this season. One bright spot is that the Eagles showed why they are one of the most intelligently run and best organized front offices in the NFL with Reid at the helm (perhaps only the Dolphins and Saints are more well oiled machines... just kidding). They not only had the foresight to draft virtually their entire starting secondary en bloc a few years ago (bookend CBs Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown along with SS Michael Lewis... when Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor were getting advanced in DB years, and would have commanded cap busting long term contracts in order to be retained), but this year resigned all three to long term contracts, allowing them to better defray future salary cap expenses, effectively spreading over an additional season. The front office may have had an eye on the Rams high flying pass attack at the time, but even if they were right for the wrong reasons, the preemptive move proved to be prescient in that the league has evolved in a more pass happy direction, and the Eagles are well positioned to combat that trend/eventuality in the future. DE Jevon Kearse is looking like the single most important free agent acquisition on the defensive side of the ball, WR Terrell Owens on offense, again making Reid look like a genius. Kearse and FS Brian Dawkins are having All Pro-type years.

Pittsburgh... The wheel on the bus goes round and round, round and round... the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to defeat in consecutive weeks unbeaten teams that had begun the season 6-0 or better. After effortlessly dispatching first the Patriots and than the Eagles in successive games, thought by many to be the top two teams in the NFL in the first half, are getting a lot of play around the league as the team to beat. If the Steelers continue to be able to run and stop the run with the intensity they have demonstrated thus far, if is very likely the epic meetings of the past two weeks could foreshadow higher stake duels later in the season... MUCH LATER. James Farrior has been the defensive MVP for Pittsburgh in 2004, and is the subject of this weeks In-Depth Profile. A skeleton key for the Steel Curtain's success has been shoring up the secondary, which was an Achilles Heel in recent seasons. Tiny CB Deshea Townsend has played bigger than his size and has been extremely strong in coverage. SS Troy Polamalu led the team in solos this week, and looks well on his way to becoming one of the top young SSs in the game. Known (rightly so) as a run support hammer, he has held up surprisingly well in the deep patrol, and looks much more comfortable and confident going backwards when the need arises.

Seattle... Both the Seahawks and Rams are at a crossroads in the season, and fittingly play each other Sunday. If the Seahawks win, they have a potentially decisive two game lead over their fiercest division rivals... if the Rams win, their record is tied, but St. Louis would get the tiebreaker by virtue of winning both head-to-head matchups. It was just a few weeks ago that the Rams stormed back from a 17 point deficit for the second greatest comeback ever with under 6 minutes remaining (the Colts shrugged off a 24 point lead by the Bucs during a MNF barnburner last season), and tipped Seattle over into a three game slump. DE Grant Wistrom and CB Ken Lucas are not expected to play this week (see EOTG - Norton), but HC Holmgren has been calling a smarter game in the past few weeks... taking pressure of QB Hasselbust by making a concerted effort to get the ball in the hands of stud RB Shaun Alexander 25+ times a game. This has comprised a winning formula the past two weeks, and Hasselbust even responded with 3 TDs. If Holmgren's week 10 script enables the Seahawks to be more efficient, and grind out longer more sustained drives, this will keep the Rams vaunted aerial attack grounded and in the sideline hangar/tarmac. That could turn out to be the smart play, to avert unleashing one of the best WR tandems in the NFL (Bruce and Holt) against an up 'n coming, but young and inexperienced secondary... CB Marcus Trufant, FS Ken Hamlin and SS Michael Boulware.

St. Louis... Two weeks in the penalty box... first the Rams lose to league laughing stock Miami two weeks ago, than were treated more rudely by New England than Wayne Brady treated his low earning stable member on the Chappelle episode. Sporting News Rams beat writer Jim Thomas reported that Mad Mike was really Mad Mike, and put the team through the paces of a rigorous full contact practice in pads for the first time that insiders could remember since John Robinson was the coach. Cover Two CBs are a favorite in this space, but Travis Fisher is having a rough year (counterpart Jerametrius Butler has a chance at a top 10 finish among DBs), first breaking his arm in the preseason, than in his second game back, he broke a couple lower teeth and didn't return (slacker). DE Leonard Little was a top 3 sack artist since 2001 leading up to this season... through a combination of the legal cloud hanging over his head, missing former bookend Grant Wistrom, and the secondary being a little more unsettled than last year due to injuries, Little is not getting to QB like he was in '03 (which saw him get serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year despite missing a month of the season). Lost in the midst of the shoddy play of late was a stellar game by DT "bust" Damione Lewis. He has done very little in his first three full seasons to justify being the first of three first round picks in the '01 draft... but he has been hurt for the bulk of that time with a litany of lower leg injuries. Lewis has declared himself healthy for the first time in a long while, and he figured prominently in the boxscore with 6 solos, 1 assist and a sack. If this is a precursor and signal of his arrival (he has the speed, power and athleticism to be highly disruptive in the Warren Sapp vein), along with the return to the lineup of last seasons "bust" DT Jimmy Kennedy, they could really give the Rams front seven a lift, and be a shot in the arm for a beleaguered secondary. Former MLB Robert Thomas may have a hard time shirking the bust/injury prone moniker, after being in and out of the lineup, and seemingly being beaten out for the starting MLB gig by journeyman Trev Faulk. SS Adam Archuleta is having a good year statistically, but he seems to make too many tackles downfield, compared to the elite SSs in the game.

Tennessee... BYE

Defensive Rookie of the Year Watch

(All Stats YTD)

1. Jonathan Vilma (MLB/ILB - NYJ)... 35 solos, 18 assists, 1 sack, 1 INT
2. Gibril Wilson (SS - NYG)... 42 solos, 7 assists, 3 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FF
3. DJ Williams (WLB - DEN)... 43 solos, 14 assists, 1 sack
4. Teddy Lehman (SLB - DET)... 43 solos, 6 assists, 1 FF
5. Erik Coleman (SS - NYJ)... 37 solos, 15 assists, 2 INTs
6. Sean Taylor (FS - WAS)... 24 solos, 7 assists, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 DUI
7. Madieu Williams (FS/SS/CB - CIN) 44 solos, 6 assists, 2 INTs, 1 TD
8. Bob Sanders (FS/SS - IND)... 15 solos, 1 assist
9. Michael Boulware (SS - SEA)... 17 solos, 8 assists, 3 INTs, 1 FF
10. Daryl Smith (SLB - JAX)... 24 solos, 5 assists, 1 INT
11. Dunta Robinson (CB - HOU)... 26 solos, 9 assists, 3 INTs
12. Kenechi Udeze (DE - MIN)... 15 solos, 3 assist, 3 sack
    

    Standing on the Verge (of Gettin It...)

• Courtney Watson (MLB - NO)
• Darnell Dockett (DT - ARI)
• Dontarrious Thomas (WLB - MIN)
• Karlos Dansby (SLB - ARI)
• Caleb Miller (MLB - CIN)... 17 solos, 7 assists
• Travis Laboy (DE - TEN)
• Demorrio Williams (MLB - ATL)
• Karlos Dansby (SLB - ARI)
• Chris Gamble (CB - CAR)
• Will Smith (DE - NO)
• Vince Wilfork (DT - NE)
• Jason Babin (OLB - HOU)
• Glenn Earl (SS - HOU)
• Tommie Harris (DT - CHI)
• Landon Johnson (WLB - CIN)
• Antwan Odom (DE - TEN)
• Tank Johnson (DT - CHI)
• Brandon Chillar (SLB - STL)
• Junior Siavii (DT - KC)

In-depth Profile

Most of the profiles to date have pointed back towards the preseason Sleepers/Busts article, and have focused on young and emerging IDP talent. This week will look at James Farrior, taken from a preseason IDP Spotlight. Many actual IDP teams employ a mix and balance of youth along with more established veterans (the subject of an ETTG earlier in the season). Farrior is an excellent example of someone who is in a kind of sweet spot age-wise (29) in that he has the look of an ascendant player who is getting better... he is playing the best ball of his career right now. One aspect discussed earlier about why he was positioned to succeed revolved around former DC Dick LeBeau returning to resume his former duties... he put the blitz in Blitzburgh. Another factor that would have been more harder to predict was how much difficulty ILB Kendrell Bell would have making it back to the field. This void has been nicely filled by the former Virginia standout and teammate of Jamie Sharper. He has been their most consistent LB dating back to last season... this year he has been given the opportunity to show he can be their most explosive LB. Farrior is coming off a game in which he contributed a sack AND an INT, after having one of the best games for an IDP all season a few weeks ago, in which he racked up 2 sacks and 3 FFs. This is why the earlier Spotlight ended by situating him within the maelstrom that is the Steeler defense by calling him... the gatekeeper of the vortex ("What kind of swallow... I don't know... AAAHHHH!").

"Farrior is somewhat of an underrated LB. He was one of the best LB prospects in the nation in the 1997 draft out of the University of Virginia along with teammate and carbon copy Jamie Sharper. He had 381 tackles, #3 in school history (Sharper was #1), and his 252 solos are #2 to Sharper, with 10 career sacks. Farrior's 7 career INTs tied him for the school record for LBs at the time he departed. In high school he had a career similar to D.J. Williams... a two way star who was a Parade All-America and Virginia's co-Offensive Player of the Year, getting 26 TDs and over a 1,000 yards as a featured runner FB and 78 tackles, 11 sacks, 2 INTs, 4 FR and 5 blocked kicks as a LB his senior year. It looked like he was going to be a big piece of the New York Jets defensive puzzle when Bill Parcells selected him with the eighth overall pick after trading down with the Rams and than again with the Bucs, presumably to feature his disruptive and playmaking capabilities (he was fundamentally sound in pass coverage, a powerhouse run stuffer, and a terror blitzing the QB... led all ACC linebacker with nine passes broken up in 1996, registered 107 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a first team all conference selection with Sharper). After an auspicious debut with a 71 tackle rookie season, he inexplicably fell into disfavor and landed in Parcells doghouse (in other words, a world of pain).

Languishing for a few seasons in heavy rotation with the ageless ex-Ram/Jet and current Patriot Roman Phifer, he had a bit of a career resurgence with his brilliant '01 campaign, in which he was near the top three in tackles for the NFL. Allowed to become a free agent and walk in that following offseason when HC Herm Edwards considered ex-Bills stud MLB Sam Cowart an upgrade projecting to the WLB position. He subsequently replaced Steeler stalwart ILB Earl Holmes (since bounced around with the Browns and Lions), when HC Cowher thought him an upgrade projecting to ILB. After a checkered '02 season, in which he had multiple adjustments to contend with... new defensive scheme, new position, being saddled with getting the defense in place and playcalling responsibilities, as well as a bum wheel part of the season, he settled in nicely and came on strong in '03, easily leading the team in tackles. Despite being 29, he didn't play full time for much of his pro career while with the Jets (given the aforementioned platoon with Phifer; no shame in that, as he is an accomplished LB and tremendous athlete in his own right, and has gone on to help the Pats win several Super Bowls as a starting LB in their primarily 3-4 look), should have fresh legs, and has the look of a player who hasn't peaked yet and could still be in a state of ascendancy for another few seasons. May be a late bloomer, sort of like a Priest Holmes on the defensive side of the ball.

Positives

• A good athlete (6'2" 242 lb, 4.6), with nice pedigree. He was the eighth overall pick in the '97 draft, one of the top LBs in the draft along with Virginia teammate Jamie Sharper (fourth pick in the second round). Excellent intangibles, he is tough and a consummate professional, and though not a demonstrative leader, he is as serious as a court summons about taking care of his responsibilities (Playmakers probably wasn't thinly veiled material culled from his life story). Versatile, he had some commendable seasons situated at OLB with the Jets, and is quietly establishing an impressive body of work on the inside with the Steelers.
• An integral part of the Steelers defense, he makes the calls and makes sure everybody gets lined up correctly and in position. After a slow start in '02, the Steelers like what they saw in the first two seasons of his contract and want him to re-up with a contract extension. He is a big part of the nickel and dime package, making him even more valuable to Pittsburgh due to his three down skill set.
• He's been highly productive, over 100 solo tackles two of the last three seasons (145 in '01 with the Jets, as well as 3 FFs, 2 INTs and 9 PD, and 141 in '03 with the Steelers). Led the Steelers in tackles last season, despite being surrounded by the higher profile Kendrell Bell and Joey Porter (DD combined tackles in nearly half the games). A solid, textbook form-tackler, breaks down in the open field. Usually if he gets to the ball carrier, he's going down... its rare to see broken tacklers on Farrior. He knows all the tricks as a vet LB, is proficient at sifting through traffic, and gets to the ball carrier... a LOT. His stats could go up in ex and current DC LeBeau's attacking scheme.

Negatives

• He has had bouts of inconsistency during his career. a strong rookie debut and the lights out '01 season when he was among the league leaders in tackles flanked some mediocre seasons in between.
• More of a "Steady Eddie"-type LB2 than a LB1... he is a tackle machine, but won't put up the sack numbers of a Keith Bulluck or Jamie Sharper (that is not his role in the Steelers system), effectively separating him from the elite IDP scorers.
• Not a blow up tackler, opponents don't crumple to the ground like they've been hit by a police issue TASER (ie- see Ray Lewis when hitting people upside their head), but maybe that is a function of the fact that he plays under such good control. Besides, you don't get credit for style points.

Final Thoughts

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the return of former DC Dick LeBeau (father of the zone blitz) after stints as HC of Cincinnati for almost three years prior to the hiring of tyro Marvin Lewis (who has the former Bungles in full resurgent mode) and as assistant HC for the Bills in '03. When Tim Lewis was fired as the Steelers' DC after four seasons, LeBeau was immediately contacted by Steelers coach Bill Cowher. After former Steeler OC Mike Mularkey was hired as the Bills HC, he sought to retain LeBeau, but LeBeau decided to return to Pittsburgh. LeBeau was on Cowher's initial staff in 1992 as DBs coach and DC from '95-'96. He left after the 1996 season to return to Cincinnati, where his family had continued to live even during his tenure at Pittsburgh. LeBeau was almost universally acknowledged as one of the NFL's brightest and most resourceful defensive innovators... he introduced the zone blitzes which were the scourge of the league in the mid-90s, when their defense was nicknamed "Blitzburgh", when the likes of OLBs Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd were terrorizing opposing QBs. His zone blitz scheme became a template that was widely emulated around the NFL (being the copycat league that it is). Of course, it also helped to have Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake roving in the secondary, probably one of the most awesome safety tandems in terms of athleticism in league history. Nobody expects SS Troy Polamalu and the new FS (Chris Hope and Mike Logan are available) to play anywhere near that level, but if LeBeau is planning on using his whole repertoire of exotic blitzes, they better be competent and proficient.

A corollary of the zone blitz is that, when LeBeau sends everybody plus the kitchen sink, and on any given play this might include OLBs Joey Porter and Jason Gildon (expected to be released June 1, Clark Haggans gets first shot at the starting OLB position opposite Porter), stud ILB and former Defensive Rookie of the Year Kendrell Bell as a standup DE, as well as promising SS prospect and physical specimen Troy Polamalu (sub-4.4, 40"+ VJ) and the occasional CB blitz from Chad Scott, is that someone has to patrol the center of the field. With something like 90% of the defense pinning their collective ears back and charged with getting after the QB as quickly and however they can, this tends to prompt and elicit from the opposing OC and QB a lot dump off and safety valve passes out in the flat. In the wake of all the turbulence churned up from LeBeau's aggressive and attacking zone blitz variants and eagerly anticipated '04 hybrids, an integral part of the Steelers scheme is to have a LB that can roam around and mop up the mess from all the destruction caused by blitzers wreaking havoc and laying waste to opponents passing game plans. Farrior IS THAT GUY. He will be at the center of the cyclone... the gatekeeper of the vortex."

IDP Dynasty Tip of the Week

On Trading Players for Picks In-Season...

WHY! Why not have the use of the player for that season, assuming they are of starter caliber, to help you win that season. In most cases the player, if they are high quality, could fetch the same price during the offseason and prior to the next draft. There may be some occasions where you are trusting your instinct that you should sell high, and the same deal may NOT be available at a later date... but don't make moves just to make moves.

HOT-WIRE YOUR HEAD WITH FBG IDP!