London Fletcher

It's really getting to be a bit silly at this point. Fletcher is heading into his 15th season, at age 37, and it seems as if he’s not even close to slowing down. He finished the 2011 season with 166 tackles – his highest total since the league started keeping track in 2001 – including 96 solo stops. He also finished with 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and eight passes defended. What's amazing about that tackle total is that Fletcher started the year with just 22 tackles in the first four weeks, meaning he averaged 12 tackles per game after his Week 5 bye. Even if his game does start to deteriorate in 2012, Fletcher’s IDP production shouldn’t suffer much for it – he’s a three-down player, and the Washington defense should see a lot of snaps in 2012, in no small part because the Redskins offense figures to be a quick-strike, hit-or-miss operation rather than a ball-control attack. Washington drafted Robert Griffin III to throw the ball often, so the Redskins figure to either score quickly if Griffin adapts well to the NFL or turn the ball over often if Griffin struggles.

It seems like Fletcher has to slow down a bit as he heads into his age-36 season, but he has yet to show any signs of it. He hasn’t fallen short of the triple-digit tackle mark since the 1990s, demonstrating remarkable longevity and consistency over the years. He has averaged roughly 135 tackles per season in his four years with the Redskins, including a 136-tackle (87 solo), 2.5-sack campaign last year, his first in Jim Haslett's 3-4 alignment. There’s no reason to doubt that there’s another good IDP campaign in store for Fletcher in 2011 – the Redskins offense doesn’t figure to be too great, so the Washington defense figures to have a good shot at seeing 1,000 snaps, as it did last year. In addition, the team’s unproven three-man front means Fletcher should have a lot of cleaning up to do as ball carriers get to the second level.

Fletcher might get overlooked in drafts because of his age — 35 in May. But the savvy veteran continues to rack up tackle totals that match players 10 years his junior — his 142 stops last season tied for second in the league. His consistency — both in health and production — are nothing short of remarkable. It will be interesting to see how a shift to the 3-4 alignment will impact his play, but it would seem foolish to bet against another productive season.

The biggest reason to draft London Fletcher-Baker is his remarkable consistency – the anchor of Washington’s front seven has averaged 139 tackles over the last six seasons; his lowest total in that span was a healthy 128 in 2007. Fletcher-Baker has never missed a game in his 11-year career, playing in 176 consecutive contests. He played with a foot injury down the stretch last year, but still averaged nearly 10 tackles a game in his last five. Although he’s 34, there’s reason to believe he could post improved numbers this season, as the addition of top defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth - a beast who commands attention form multiple blockers – to Washington’s D-line could have a ripple effect that improves the production of players like Fletcher-Baker and DE Andre Carter.

At age 33, Fletcher-Baker fits into the Zach Thomas and Brian Urlacher mold of elite tacklers over the age of 30. Last year was his eighth year as a starter, and Fletcher-Baker dipped below 130 tackles for only the second time, albeit barely (128). The main culprit was a weak finish that included only eight tackles over Washington's final two games. Fletcher-Baker made 142 or more tackles in four of the last five years, so there are early signs of a drop, but not a huge one by any means. Throw in his seven interceptions over the last two seasons and Fletcher-Baker shouldn't slip too far down your draft board. He still has enough speed to catch up to ball carriers.

Who's to argue with consistency? Fletcher-Baker has been the best IDP in each of the last two seasons and was third among linebackers the year before. We're never one of those just to reprint last year's year-end rankings, but there's reason to love Fletcher-Baker this year as well. In nine years he has never missed a game. He can play in any package, on any down, with the recognition skills, block-slipping, range and sure tackling to make every snap count. He's remarkably consistent week to week, never contributing fewer then seven fantasy points in a game last year, and delivers even with nagging injuries, such as at the beginning of 2005. He tackles like few others, often adding 50 or more assists to roughly 100 solo tackles per year; in seven years as a starter he's dipped below 130 total tackles just once. None of this is to say that there aren't caveats. There's always uncertainty when a defender changes teams, but even here there are positives. Fletcher-Baker goes to a Washington team whose defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, was his head coach in Buffalo in 2002 and 2003. Granted, it was under Williams that Fletcher-Baker stopped intercepting passes, but last year he showed the speed to cover routes well enough to pick off a career-high-tying four passes. Even at 32 he continues to bring a complete package as a linebacker.

Fletcher-Baker has ranked in the year-end top 20 six consecutive years. Read that again. Forget about that interception: it’s his first in four years in Buffalo and not his strength anymore (he did have six in his last two years in St. Louis). What Fletcher-Baker does is simple. He tackles like the bejeezus, including tackling the quarterback. Lacking great size or speed, he excels with dexterity, body control and instincts for the ball. Fletcher-Baker has never missed a game in eight years, and once getting his sea legs in 2000, has ranged from 89 to 105 solo tackles per year. Atop that more than solid base, he’s averaged 3.75 sacks per year. Fletcher-Baker played through a hamstring injury in the beginning of last year, which cost him a great deal of effectiveness. He made just 32 solo tackles in the first nine games of the season. But he went off once healthy in November and December, recording 72 solo tackles in seven games with three sacks and a pick. That’s the best second half in the game and an indication of how phenomenal he can be when healthy.

Imagine having Fletcher in 2000 when he had 105 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks and four picks. He doesn’t quite do that anymore, but what he does is awfully good nonetheless. Since coming over to Buffalo he hasn’t had a pick, but continues to log 90-plus solo tackles and a few sacks every year. He’s recorded at least three sacks in each of his six years as a starter but one, shows solid fumble production and hasn’t missed a game in his career. Fletcher shows a little inconsistency from game to game but remains a perennial top 10 LB candidate.

Fletcher is a pit bull of a linebacker -- just ask him -- and his position in the middle is the focal point of Buffalo's "46" defense. Fletcher won't get you much in the way of sacks and interceptions (just five sacks and no picks over the last two seasons), but he's a tackling machine, with 147 in 2002 and 133 last season. He also is very dependable, having played in all 16 games in his six years in the league. He's a strong plugger in a good Buffalo defense.

Fletcher is a pit bull of a linebacker -- just ask him -- and his position in the middle is the focal point of Buffalo's "46" defense. Fletcher won't get you much in the way of sacks and interceptions (just five sacks and no picks over the last two seasons), but he's a tackling machine, with 147 in 2002 and 133 last season. He also is very dependable, having played in all 16 games in his six years in the league. He's a strong plugger in a good Buffalo defense.