Thread: Sleeper of the Week (Chad Greenway)

Sleeper of the Week
By Arlo Vander, Fantasy Football Cafe

Last season, Minnesota was an excellent place to find defensive backs to bolster your IDP roster. Antoine Winfield once again put up excellent tackle totals, racking up 89 solos and nine assists, while teammate Darren Sharper picked off nine passes, returning them for a league-high 276 yards and two scores. The linebacker position, however, was an entirely different matter. This year, that may change.

Sam Cowart led all Minnesota LBs with 72 solo tackles last year, not exactly a number that will earn All-IDP honors. During the off-season, Cowart signed with Houston, leaving EJ Henderson (55 solo stops in 2005) as the Vikings’ top returning veteran. To fill the void left by Cowart’s departure, the team used its first-round pick - #17 overall - to add Iowa’s Chad Greenway to the fold.

Scouts were divided in their evaluation of Greenway. Some raved about the speed, tackling ability, and football smarts that allowed him to bring down more than 150 ball-carriers last year. Others worried about a lack of strength, occasional difficulty evading blockers, and skills that might not translate well to the NFL.

Yet when it comes to judging the fantasy value, opportunity is at least as vital as talent, and opportunity is one thing that Greenway certainly has going for him. The Vikings need him to step up and play a key role in the linebacker unit straight away, and Greenway should find himself very busy once the season kicks off in September.

With ten defenders being drafted ahead of him on April 29, Chad Greenway hasn’t drawn much attention so far, yet keep him in mind when considering options for your fantasy defense. If he can dispel lingering doubts about his ability, he could well be among the top tacklers in this year’s rookie class.

Source: http://www.fantasyfootballcafe.com/sleepers.php

Well, I guess we are getting some high expectations of our defense again this year.

Yeah, hopefully Greenway can have a solid rookie season.

And eventually I hope he becomes a pro bowler.

I can't even remember the last time the Vikings have had a great LB.

Alot of people dogged the Greenway pick.. I personally loved it!


Sam Cowart led all Minnesota LBs with 72 solo tackles last year, not exactly a number that will earn All-IDP honors. During the off-season, Cowart signed with Houston, leaving EJ Henderson (55 solo stops in 2005) as the Vikings’ top returning veteran. To fill the void left by Cowart’s departure, the team used its first-round pick - #17 overall - to add Iowa’s Chad Greenway to the fold.


Wow I didn't know our LB's were THAT bad!!

nice to see the vikings getting a little love from the critics. I hope to see great things coming from greenway for years to come. the way i think about it, you can always build muscle, but you can't teach smartness and instincts. as long as greenway has a solid workout routine, i expect him to be starting after a couple of weeks, and hopefully next year or theyear after be one of the more solid linebackers int he league

"Vikez4Lyfe" wrote:

Alot of people dogged the Greenway pick.. I personally loved it!


Sam Cowart led all Minnesota LBs with 72 solo tackles last year, not exactly a number that will earn All-IDP honors. During the off-season, Cowart signed with Houston, leaving EJ Henderson (55 solo stops in 2005) as the Vikings’ top returning veteran. To fill the void left by Cowart’s departure, the team used its first-round pick - #17 overall - to add Iowa’s Chad Greenway to the fold.


Wow I didn't know our LB's were THAT bad!!

Yeah, are linebackers were HORRIBLE and they could be worse this year.

Although Sam Cowart is near the end of his career, he brought a lot of leadership to our defense. Almost all of our linebackers are young and they lack experience.

And that's why I'm suprised the Vikings didn't look for a veteran LB in free agency.

we will see i guess

I can't even remember the last time the Vikings have had a great LB.[/quote]

How about Ed McDaniel?

They still have some room under the cap to get someone. There is no way they can be worse than last year. I think you'll see a couple of those younger guys step up. D. Thomas has all the ability, he's just not that smart. I hope with this new D they can use his gifts and don't forget about Leber. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done.

Solution....GET DONNIE EDWARDS!!!!!

"cajunvike" wrote:

Solution....GET DONNIE EDWARDS!!!!!

Exactly!!!!!!!!