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With the NFL regular season steadily approaching, this article aims to touch on IDP-relevant news and topics during training camps and preseason games. We'll look at injuries, contract situations, camp battles, rookie buzz, and other pertinent IDP topics. The plan is to have this article ready for your viewing every Thursday until the season kicks off. Thanks for tuning in; let's get to it!
IDP News: EDGE B.J. Ojulari
B.J. Ojulari suffers a torn ACL, which, unfortunately, ends his season.
The season-ending knee injury is brutal news for Ojulari, who Arizona and IDP managers alike hoped would take a step in his second season. Ojulari was pushing to bookend Zaven Collins, who just received a two-year extension, with the first unit this season. With Ojulari now lost for the year, Dennis Gardeck along with versatile first-round rookie Darius Robinson become more interesting.
Gardeck flashed as a rotational rusher last season, notching four sacks in his first four games, cooling off with just two over the remainder of the year. He’s an interesting deep-league name to keep tabs on. Robinson could be utilized inside and outside for the Cardinal front, due to his paring of size and athleticism.
IDP News: EDGE Yaya Diaby
Yaya Diaby is likely out for 4-6 weeks with a high-ankle sprain.
While the news could be worse, high-ankle sprains can linger. Diaby emerged as a pleasant surprise as a rookie last season, finding his way into the starting lineup as the year progressed, compiling 38 tackles (25 solos), 12 tackles for loss, and seven-and-a-half sacks over 515 defensive snaps. Diaby is Tampa Bay’s biggest threat off the edge, as former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has yet to hit the mark many had hoped, and promising second-round pick Chris Braswell likely needs time as most rookies do. Diaby’s progress in recovering from his ankle injury will be one to monitor as the regular season approaches.
IDP News: EDGE Cam Sample
Cam Sample is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles.
This is another brutal injury, as Sample is lost for the season after tearing his Achilles. Sample isn’t a high-profile IDP name by any means. However, he was an important depth player for the Bengal defensive line, playing all 17 games (2 starts) and logging 376 snaps in 2023. The IDP relevancy in this news is promising 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy is likely to see an uptick in volume. Murphy played just 305 defensive snaps as a rookie last year, but he was always going to push for more with his skill and high-end athletic traits. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are still the presumed starters, but Murphy is a name we could get more familiar with this season.
IDP News: LB Tyrel Dodson
Tyrel Dodson donning the green dot?
The fact that Seattle lost both Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks during free agency has been covered well this offseason. The Seahawks chose to bring in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson on one-year deals to help fill the void at linebacker. Baker has a track record of success and IDP relevancy over his six years in the league. Dodson was mostly a reserve during his time in Buffalo until he was thrust into more action last season due to injury. Dodson ended up making 10 starts in 2023, setting career-best marks in snaps (549), tackles (74), and tackles for loss (8). While the sample size is small, Dodson’s onfield play was encouraging, as he registered an 89.5 overall defensive grade and 86.8 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus.
Baker is currently dealing with a hamstring injury during camp, leaving him on the sidelines for the time being. As for Dodson, in a recent ESPN article profiling him, there was a reference to him working on relaying the defensive play calls. Dodson potentially getting the coveted green dot is a positive sign for his snap volume and the trust the coaching staff has in the young linebacker entering a pivotal prove-it year. Not only is Dodson intriguing with his new team and starting role, but his LB56 ADP via The IDP Show is setting up to be a value in IDP drafts.
IDP News: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah set to see a more stable snap share this season?
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is an exciting young linebacker, coming off an impressive third season where he produced 101 tackles (72 solos) and a stellar 20 tackles for loss. However, the biggest concern for us IDP games has been Owusu-Koramoah’s fluctuating role due to the Cleveland linebacker deployment. As injury hit the linebacker unit, things seemed to stabilize for Owusu-Koramoah over the back half of last season, as he held an 85.5% snap share over his final eight games.
Sione Takitaki (567 snaps in 2023) and Anthony Walker (456 snaps in 2023) both moved on this offseason. The Browns did bring in Jordan Hicks during free agency, and he seems to be the leading candidate to make the defensive calls. However, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has recently eluded to Owusu-Koramoah’s role staying on the same trajectory it finished last season when talking to the media. Owusu-Koramoah could easily eclipse last year's numbers if he gets full-time work or even close to it.
IDP News: Dallas LBs
DeMarvion Overshown and Damone Clark are battling it out in camp.
New Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer brought in a familiar face in Eric Kendricks to help run his defense. However, there is a battle heating up for the LB2 spot next to him between Damone Clark and DeMarvion Overshown. Clark started all 17 games for Dallas last season, holding a 73% snap share and producing 109 tackles (70 solos). Unfortunately for Overshown, he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason, and we didn’t get to see the 2023 third-round pick in action during the season.
Reports have come out stating Clark has looked good in camp while seeking advice from former Dallas linebacker standouts to help with his progression. Overshown has also drawn rave reviews, as he’s recovered from his knee injury, getting his standout athleticism back. Yes, Micah Parsons could mix in for some off-ball snaps as well but he’s too valuable as a pass rusher to spend too much time there–the loss of Sam Williams doesn't help either. There is a chance Clark and Overshown eat into each other’s workload, creating a messy situation for IDP purposes. However, there is also a chance that one emerges as the definitive LB2 option, making this situation one to follow throughout camp and the preseason.
IDP News: S Julian Blackmon
Julian Blackmon is seeing time at strong and free safety.
Last season, we saw Julian Blackmon transition to the strong safety role in Gus Bradley’s defense, leading to a more IDP-relevant role in his fourth season. Blackmon spent 673 of his 987 defensive snaps in his new role in the box, slot, and defensive line, per PFF. The alignment shift led to career-best marks in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (5) over Blackmon’s 15 games played.
Recent reports have stated Blackmon is seeing additional time at free safety, due to the lack of presence from the other safeties vying for the spot. Blackmon potentially seeing more time playing deep hinders his IDP outlook a bit, after transitioning to such an IDP-conducive role last season. Let’s keep an eye on camp news and alignments from the preseason games as things move along. The Colts have also been rumored to be interested in bringing in a veteran safety, which could alter things within the unit.
IDP News: S Theo Jackson
Theo Jackson is a deep dynasty league name to know.
New names and IDP gems emerge from out of nowhere every year when training camps get underway. Minnesota safety Theo Jackson is a name that fits the bill. Jackson has reportedly been standing out during camp, becoming another valuable asset in the loaded Viking safety unit. We saw how valuable Josh Metellus was for IDP last season, and Jackson is learning the responsibilities of his diverse role, among other things. Camryn Bynum is set to be a free agent after this season, and Harrison Smith also has an out in his contract after 2024. Jackson’s playing time could be sporadic this season when all are fit, but 2025 could be a different story depending on how things shake out. If you have an open bench spot burning a hole in your pocket in a deep roster IDP dynasty league, Jackson is worth a look.
IDP News: CB Mike Sainristil
Rookie Mike Sainristil is the front-runner to start at slot corner for the Washington defense.
Washington got a potential steal in the second round in cornerback Mike Sainristi out of Michigan. Sainristil, a former wide receiver, held down the slot role for the Wolverine defense, showing his feistiness as a run defender and playmaking ability with six interceptions in 2023. Sainristil is reportedly the leading candidate to be the starting slot corner for the Commanders’ defense, making him a potential impact rookie. Sainristil is a name to consider at the end of IDP best ball and true-position drafts. It also doesn't hurt to check your waiver wire in true-position IDP dynasty leagues, in case he was looked over as the cornerback position typically is.
Thanks for taking the time to read my article. Feel free to reach me on Twitter @KBellf54 with any questions or feedback.
