darin3 Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 (edited) Hot n' Not Since we're still in the off-season, I'll use this section to give a brief rundown of which Bolt IDPs you should be targeting in your upcoming IDP drafts. Feel free to offer your comments. Linebackers - The strength of the San Diego Chargers obviously lies in its linebacking corps. And we shouldn't have to tell you that Donnie Edwards is pretty much the cream of the LB crop in terms of IDP fantasy leagues. He combines raw athleticism with an uncanny knowledge of the game. Run-stopping, pass-defending, rushing the quarterback, defending in the flats, you name it. He should be at the top of your list when ranking LBs for your IDP draft. But let's not forget about the rest of the Charger LB corps. Shawne Merriman was brought in to solidify the pass-rushing capabilities of the LBs. Despite a rocky start to his Charger career (hold-out), he's an incredible athlete who will put pressure on the QB as well as rack up tackles with his superb lateral speed. Those in dynasty/keeper leagues should have him high on their rookie lists, however re-draft leagues should probably stay away, unless you have a deep bench and/or want to "handcuff" Edwards. The "others": Ben Leber, Steve Foley and Randall Godfrey should all be considered in most IDP leagues. Steve Foley will again be key in the 3-4 defense, and should build on his 82 tackles from last season. Getting double-digit sacks again will be a stretch, however. Ben Leber is probably the least desirable Bolt LB, but could serve as a solid backup on your IDP team. Randall Godfrey is often the forgotten man in this LB corps, but his 106 total tackles last season were impressive, and he should be able to duplicate that this coming season. Defensive Line - The Bolts don't have any dominating DL players - yet. Luis Castillo wasn't drafted in the first round to ride pine. They're gonna jump start his motor and let him tear through the interior of the line. He's certainly worth a flyer in most IDP leagues (and all dynasty/keeper leagues) if you feel comfortable with who you already have at DL. He could be a nice surprise. Defensive Backs - The Bolt secondary is young, but very, very talented. This Bolt fan thinks this is the season a serious playmaker emerges as one of the elite fantasy DBs in the game. Visions of Rodney Harrison? Perhaps not that great, but I believe Terrence Kiel has the talent to become one of the NFL's elite safeties. He approached 100 tackles last season, and the kid can hit. I'd have him in the top 10 or 12 DBs going into your IDP draft. With the overall improvement of the Charger D, Kiel will be afforded the opportunity to roam more, perhaps upping his tackle and INT totals. Quentin Jammer could be considered in deeper IDP leagues, or if you're required to start a CB. He'll get you 60+ tackles a season, and one must think he'll start picking the ball off eventually. Start / Bench Well since the season hasn't started, I'll just say this: start Donnie Edwards every single week. Heck, he might even rack up a few tackles on the Chargers' bye week. The Infirmary No injuries to speak of here in the off-season. The Water Cooler There's been some talk about Ty Law coming to the Bolts, playing CB and shifting Sammy Davis over to FS. Law would be a welcome addition to the young Bolt secondary, and would further demonstrate (as Harrison once did) the importance of a good, solid, bone-jarring hit. Several teams (Dolphins & Lions most likely) are still interested in Law, but don't count the Bolts out. Word out of mini-camp is that the vets are not enthused with Shawne Merriman's holdout, and that a compromise was rejected by the Chargers. If the Bolts don't land Ty Law, recently-released R.W. McQuarters could be a pretty inexpensive DB for San Diego. His name has popped up on a few local Charger message boards. He has experience covering new AFC West icon Randy Moss, too. Edited May 25, 2005 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Interesting article on the SD secondary and their need to step up from last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted September 14, 2005 Author Share Posted September 14, 2005 Linebackers Donnie Edwards is unequivocally the leader of this group, stats-wise... but don't put it past veteran Randall Godfrey to be the inspirational leader. What that translates to in terms of on-field production (and thusly, fantasy stats) remains to be seen. But if last Sunday's game is any indication, Godfrey could certainly help IDP'ers out, for those looking for some depth, bye week or injury filler, or to just keep him off the waiver wire and off your opponents' squads. The veteran LB had 7 solo tackles and 3 assists against the Cowboys. With opposing offensive lines paying special attention to the uber-stud Donnie Edwards, the rest of the Bolt LB corps might just continue to post solid numbers. Ben Leber and Steve Foley (if available in your leagues) are definitely solid contributors and would be perfect as #3 or backup LBs in standard IDP leagues D Line As I stated in my preseason guide, the Bolts really don't have much to look at in terms of fantasy value from their D-line. Luis Castillo has a motor ... Igor Olshansky has a motor ... but that's not going to yield them big fantasy numbers, especially with tackle-gobbling LBs behind them. In big dynasty leagues, perhaps you grab one of these D-linemen, but in normal IDP leagues, let them sit on your waiver wire. Defensive Backs Unfortunately for Charger fans, the Charger secondary is still giving up big plays. Terrence Kiel has the makeup to be a super stud safety in the NFL, but just isn't living up to the hype. He still merits fantasy consideration, though. He logged 8 solo tackles this past Sunday. If the Chargers' secondary is to improve, Kiel will have to continue to post those kinds of numbers, and start making big plays. Bhawoh Jue has looked pretty good as the FS, but with Kiel (hopefully) making big plays, doesn't warrant fantasy consideration, unless you're looking for a deep sleeper. Both CBs (Jammer and Florence) could be ignored, fantasy-wise. Jammer will end up being a solid NFL CB, though. He has skills. Start/Bench As hinted above, you can start Donnie Edwards. Go ahead, go crazy. Any of the other Bolt LBs are fantasy-worthy too, depending on the size of your league and required LB starters. Keep in mind, Steve Foley's nicked up, but has uncanny QB sacking ability... so if he's healthy come Sunday, feel good starting him. Leber and Godfrey are solid starts this week as they play division rival Denver. The Infirmary Steve Foley had an undisclosed issue with his eye prior to Week 1 (listed as probable). He should be good to go in Week 2. Shawne Merriman was inactive due to a sore hammy and a knee injury Week 1. No word on his status. The Water Cooler The Charger run D continues to be solid, with their pass D leaving alot to be desired. The Bolts really need Shawne Merriman to get healthy and provide some pressure on the opposing QB. That's all for this week... for those that signed up for other teams' correspondents, feel free to update yours as you see fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.