Should You Avoid Cody Barton?

Photo: USA Today Sports

Here is more of this ongoing series:

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Should You Avoid Micah Parsons in 2023?

Fantasy football is very much a timing game. Whether it is a late-season waiver wire steal or a draft-day gift falling to you in the last round. Maybe a player does well in camp and secures a starting job we didn’t know was up for grabs. Or maybe, a phenomenal linebacker leaves, and there’s a massive opening for production. Sometimes things just work out for the best. You never prepare for these moments. Preparing for something to miraculously happen isn’t exactly a plan. It is dumb luck, but sometimes, these situations win leagues. It is much easier to expect a decline than to project an increase in production. Last season we knew that the Seattle Seahawks had an opening in a linebacker unit that was easily going to score points. Phenom Jordyn Brooks was a no-doubt yes for production, and whoever manned the opposite side would score similarly, if not more, some weeks. Enter perennial special teamer Cody Barton. There was a lot to like about his first-year performance, but we must remain in the present, not the past. Was Cody Barton just a moment in time? I’m here to tamper expectations of the new linebacker in Washington this season.

What We Saw Last Season

Barton did what was expected of him last season. Whether it was Bobby Wagner’s shoes or picking up the secondary role where Jordyn Brooks left off, the expectations were clear and high of Barton. While he was a relative unknown in IDP fantasy football prior to his starting role, many managers jumped on the bandwagon and watched to see if he would grab the brass ring. In his first year as a credible starter, he achieved a career-high in all defensive categories other than fumbles forced and recovered. Tackles, sacks, INTs, and defended passes all took a jump, and Barton became an IDP darling. The former third-round pick had arrived, and all seemed well until his inevitable departure to uncharted waters. The Commanders also have a huge gap to fill since losing IDP legend Cole Holcomb to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their belief is that they have acquired Holcomb 2.0. I am here to pump the brakes a little on that designation.

Where Barton Is Going to Play

It’s no secret that the linebacker position for the Commanders is suspect at best. Fantasy managers have been waiting for the moment former first-rounder Jamin Davis ascends the throne, and this season, he will be the unquestioned LB1. But what does that mean for the others? Barton slots in currently as the middle linebacker, which I believe is an advantage over Davis, but this will be Barton's first year in a new system run by defensive-minded head coach Ron Rivera. He goes from a 3-4 to a 4-3, which is not only a personnel change but a philosophically different approach for defending teams. This 4-3 is almost similar to a 4-2-5, meaning the linebacker position is limited to two players, and a hybrid safety plays a more in-the-box role eliminating the need for additional linebackers. This isn’t just a plug-and-play change for an NFL player, especially one that is an outsider competing for a spot in the pecking order. He will get the first crack at success alongside Davis, but with a struggling head coach and new owner in the organization, there may not be much time for growth. If he is going to stick, he will need to produce early and often because this team is primed for a blowup of epic proportions to rebrand what has unfortunately become a laughable franchise.