Andra Davis

Signed by the Bills as a free agent in March, mostly for his familiarity with the team's new 3-4 defense, Davis has a chance to start in 2010. He's competing with Paul Posluszny and Kawika Mitchell for two ILB spots. Davis posted 90 tackles in each of the two seasons and used to be a 100-plus tackles guy with the Browns, so if he wins a starting job, give him a look in deeper IDP leagues, as he's off the radar to a lot of folks these days.

Davis will be a starting inside linebacker for the Broncos after being brought in during the offseason from Cleveland. Davis had 104, 67 and 90 tackles over the last three seasons and should get plenty of opportunities to build on those stats in 2009. The Broncos' defense was downright awful in 2008 and Davis was signed in order to turn things around.

Will start at middle linebacker.

Cleveland's switch to the 3-4 hasn't much bothered Davis. He continues to pour in the fantasy points at a clip that places him just outside the Top 10 most years. Davis plays like a smaller man. At 254, he should be a bull locking horns with linemen, but instead makes his trade with athleticism, deceptive quickness and by slipping blocks. He obviously has strong instincts and tackling skills, but tackles at a rate just below the elite, more like Nick Barnett and Keith Brooking than Zach Thomas and DeMeco Ryans. Davis’ playmaking is certainly evident in four consecutive years with a sack and three straight with an interception, but again below the elites. His incredible drive powers his game, but keep a watchful eye on him early in the season. He missed the last two games of 2006 to a concussion, which is always a worry, both mentally and physically, for a man whose value is in hurling his body at moving objects.

For a guy who doesn’t play with a ton of range, Davis has shown quite a bit of versatility. Davis is your classic run stuffer, a stout 250-pounder who plays smashmouth football against opposing blockers and makes the tackle anyway. He won’t be running down scat backs at the sidelines anytime soon. Yet he can excel at any number of skills. He’s never posted 100 solo tackles, but with 97 in 2003, his first year as a starter, he proved he can get in the ballpark. Five sacks that year demonstrated his rushing prowess, while three picks in 11 games in 2004 showed he can close on the ball despite some obvious deficiencies chasing down speedier and more elusive backs and ends. Former New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel installed a 3-4 scheme last season in his first year as Cleveland’s head coach, and Davis was productive yet again. In a four-linebacker scheme, Davis may not be asked to range beyond the tackles all that often, so it may suit him best. He tends to be feast or famine from week to week, such as the three times during a four game stretch last year that he posted only two solo tackles. The other game? Eight solos and a sack. He’s durable and has shown over full seasons that he does enough with the playmaking to bolster tackle number just below the elite.

Davis emerged in 2003 on the strength of 97 solo tackles and five sacks. Eleven games into 2004, he’d laid down quite a season, averaging better than six fantasy points per game, when he tore his left MCL, knocking him out for the year. Let your opponents forget about his high level of production; he’s expected to be ready to go in July. After a slow first two games last year, he never failed to reach at least five solo tackles until the game in which he was injured and has shown a skill for high levels of both interceptions and sacks in successive years (just watch out if he ever puts them both together in the same year). Keep an eye on his recovery, but otherwise, draft Davis and enjoy the spoils. In a 3-4 alignment he may be sent on the pass rush more often than in the past.

We certainly won’t turn our noses up at 106 solo tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and six passes defended, but check the game log on Davis. Having four of the sacks came in one game against K.C. doesn’t mean he’s not good on the pass rush. Quite the opposite, as KC was fourth best in sacks allowed with just 21. But it is consistent with the feast-or-famine tendencies we hope he’ll correct.