Fantasy: IDP - Jasper the Unfriendly Linebacker

 Over the last several pieces, I’ve mentioned Individual Defensive Players that are primed for break-out or a bounce back season  from sub-par or rookie seasons. Among some of the sleepers, there’s one guy that I’m not currently buying into and, unless I’m in a deeper league or all-IDP league (which I’m in a few), I’ll be avoiding this guy in most standard mixed IDP leagues. Minnesota linebacker, Jasper Brinkley, is getting strong consideration for starting middle linebacker as it doesn’t look like EJ Henderson is returning to the fold and, not to go on a tangent, how hasn’t he gotten an offer yet? Sure, he’s getting an opportunity to play at, what is usually, a productive IDP position, but I’m just not into him as an IDP producer, yet alone someone who’s going to be on the field for every-down.

Before I even mention the injuries, let’s take a look at his playing time and number of snaps at the position he’s appeared in. As a rookie in 2009, there was some promise as he appeared in 8 regular season games (2 playoffs), including 4 starts during the regular season. During that season, even during his starts, he wasn’t an every-down ‘backer. In the 4 games he started, of a possible 250 defensive snaps he appeared in 157 (just 62.8%), often being replaced in nickel packages due to his deficiencies in the pass game, where he graded out at a -3.8. This didn’t go unnoticed as teams began to exploit his weakness, but with EJ Henderson out that year, there wasn’t much the Vikes could do. But with 28 tackles and a tackle/snap frequency percentage of 11.4, there was some optimism about his future if he could improve his pass defense. There was never any doubt that he was a thumper in stopping the run.

During the off-season heading into the 2010 season, he worked to improve his pass coverage skills and he was working as if though he was going to be the starting MIKE that year. However, EJ Henderson miraculously returned from an ugly leg injury to monopolize the MIKE duties. Brinkley was mainly regulated to special teams’ duties, appearing in just 18 defensive snaps that year. The 2010 season was, for the most part, a lost season.

So, we look ahead to the 2011 season, where yet again, Brinkley was looking like an IDP sleeper. Injury this time derailed his season, as he suffered a hip injury that landed him on IR before the season even began. With the 2012 season, and Henderson not returning, Brinkley is atop the depth chart as MIKE and will be starter unless something unforeseen happens. Until the pre-season starts, we won’t know if he’s improved his coverage skills so he’s still projected as just a two-down ‘backer with Chad Greenway and Erin Henderson staying on for nickel packages. To throw a monkey-wrench into the plans, wow, he’s nursing a groin injury that he says is related to the hip injury, even though the Vikings don’t believe that it is. Bottom line, the Vikings MIKE is out mini-camp and there’s some cause for concern in his abilities to stay healthy.

As far as my outlook and projections for Brinkley in 2012:

For me, there are too many red flags on an unproven player for me to draft him any higher than an LB5 (bench depth, basically) in any mixed IDP league. However, if any of you participate in any all-IDP leagues (like I do) he’s definitely an LB3 consideration, but still carries injury risk.

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