Paul Posluszny

Although it looks like the sun is setting on the era of Posluszny's elite IDP status, he should have at least one more year of good production, even if second-round pick Myles Jack steals some snaps from the nine-year veteran, who turns 32 in October. Posluszny can afford to lose some snaps and still maintain LB2 value, as he's aver-aged 9.7 tackles per game going back to 2012. More than Jack, the bigger worry with Posluszny might be his durability, as he has played 16 games only three times in his career, missing 11 games over the last two years.

In leagues that start just one linebacker, Posluszny is the perfect value pick. He can be drafted later than the Big Three and can be replaced easily enough if his injury troubles pop up. When he's on the field, he has 160-tackle upside. He confirmed as much in 2013, when he finished with 161 stops (121 solo), three sacks and two interceptions in 15 games, but last year's pectoral tear reminded how fragile Poz can be. In his eight NFL seasons, Posluszny has played 16 games just three times, and 12 games or fewer three times. His IDP owners need a backup plan, though his durability annoyances are more than worth the hassle considering his IDP upside. His pectoral tear suffered last season is expected to be healthy for the regular season.

After dealing with improbably bad injury luck during his first four years in the league, it appeared as if Posluszny would always be a high-ceiling player with shaky week-to-week availability. Over the last three years, though, Posluszny has done a very good job of staying on the field. He only missed one game over that span, and his improved durability has allowed him to establish himself as a top-tier IDP. He finished with 161 tackles (121 solo) last year despite missing a game with a concussion, and he threw in three sacks and two interceptions, adding one touchdown while he was at it. Since rookie fifth-round pick Telvin Smith might be Jacksonville's second-best linebacker, Posluszny will have no competition for snaps, and he should establish a similarly strong stranglehold on the market share of tackles. Posluszny's past durability trouble is the only thing that looms as a threat to his elite status as an IDP – he's averaging 149 tackles per 16-game span going all the way back to the 2009 season. He's clearly worth an LB1 investment, even if his injury history pushes him lower than the likes of Kuechly, David, Alonso, Burfict and Wagner on the cheatsheet.

Posluszny might have turned a corner health-wise over the last two years – the former Penn State star has played in all of Jacksonville's 32 games since 2011. Perhaps all Posluszny needed was some warmer weather, because he missed 19 games in his four seasons with the Bills. If he's on the field, Posluszny is one of the league's elite linebackers. His tackle numbers are always high, but he's also among the best linebacker options when it comes to making an impact in the turnover and pass-rushing departments. Despite missing six games in the span, Posluszny has 520 tackles, seven sacks and eight interceptions in the last four years. That includes 139 stops (106 solo), two sacks and three interceptions in 2012. If new head coach Gus Bradley can even vaguely imitate the success he had as a defensive coordinator in Seattle, Posluszny could be in position to make even more plays in 2013, as Bradley's expertise in applying pressure should create favorable conditions for his middle linebacker.

Posluszny’s days an elite IDP are likely gone, though through no fault of his own. After years of producing near the level of players like Patrick Willis and Jon Beason, his numbers fell off a cliff in 2011 because he was a part of a defense that actually did a pretty good job of getting off the field. That said, even though he wasn’t putting up 10 tackles per game for the Jaguars, Posluszny’s 2011 total of 119 stops (69 solo) was certainly far from shabby, and the two sacks and interceptions were a nice final touch.

Posluszny is an injury risk, but he's been as productive on a per-game basis as anyone the last two years. In 26 games played the last two years, Posluszny totaled 262 tackles, including an impressive 191 solo stops. Those numbers prorate to roughly 161 tackles in 16 games with 118 solo tackles. After signing with Jacksonvilole, Posluszny will go back to manning the middle of a 4-3 defense where he's always been a bit more comfortable. He racks up his eye-popping tackle totals regardless, so he should remain toward the top of the LB cheat sheets in formats where tackles weigh heavily.

Posluszny puts up outstanding numbers when he can stay on the field, but injuries have cost him significant chunks of two of his three NFL seasons. A broken arm limited him to three games as a rookie, and another break cost him four games last season. Despite that, he led the Bills in tackles (110) in 2009 and added three interceptions and his first NFL sack. Posluszny’s doctors took steps during last season’s surgery to try and prevent additional breaks, which could help keep him on the field this season. If so, he should be a good-to-great option in IDP leagues. The Bills have switched to a new 3-4 defense, but all indications are he'll get one of the starting (and tackle-friendly) ILB spots, with Andra Davis or Kawika Mitchell getting the other one. Poz is a major tackles guy, though he won't get you a lot of picks or sacks.

Yet another middle linebacker from the vaunted 2007 linebacker draft class, Posluszny got off to a great start with 22 tackles in his first two games as a rookie, but a broken forearm suffered in Week 3 ended his season. Last year was his first real NFL season – and was worth the wait as Posluszny racked up an impressive 110 tackles and an interception. He should continue to improve in 2009. He probably won’t be involved enough in the pass rush to generate significant sack totals, but he’s active in pass defense, with an interception and six passes defended in 2008.

Posluszny shot out of the gate in his rookie season with 22 tackles in the first two games before suffering a broken forearm that knocked him out for the remainder of the year. Eager to get back onto the field after a lost season, Posluszny is the favorite to start at middle linebacker again in 2008. As long as he stays healthy, he’ll be a tackling beast, easily surpassing 100 tackles and possibly developing into a top-10 fantasy linebacker at some point.

Posluszny will be in a battle with second year player John DiGiorgio for the middle linebacker job, but expect him to have the starting job by the time the season starts. Although Posluszny played strong side linebacker for most of his collegiate career, expect the transition to the middle to be smooth as he started four games in the middle at the end of last season, and averaged 10 tackles a game. Posluszny struggled in pass coverage last year on the outside, so the move should help him feel more comfortable. He's a bit on the smallish side, but was as dependable as they come for the Nittany Lions guy and has the potential to be an excellent source of tackles, given about another year.