Building an IDP dynasty roster isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes you really have to dig deep to keep your bench or taxi squad serviceable. IDP Dude dives in to give you five stash players for the long haul.
We are in the thick of the offseason and whether you’re looking to fill some roster spots in an IDP startup or revamp your taxi squad, these are some good dudes to target. More importantly, it’s important to pay attention to training camp battles as these players can either play their way into a bigger role or get cut altogether.
Marcus Epps – Rookie – Safety – Minnesota Vikings – 2019 Round 6 Pick 191
This is not Marcus Epps the MLS winger from the New York Red Bulls. Epps was the talk of the town during spring training and seemed to gain an edge in the battle for depth chart positioning. Epps’ current competition includes Jayron Kearse, Derron Smith, Duke Thomas and Micah Abernathy. Of course, they are all playing behind incumbent starters Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris. I’m not completely sold on Harris and I think Epps could eventually play himself into a starting role.
#6 Marcus Epps with a pick six! @WYO_Football strikes first at the Factory of Eastern Michigan. Watch on @CBSSportsNet! #mwfb pic.twitter.com/jBJJyJwRKt
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) September 23, 2016
Sean Murphy-Bunting – Rookie - Cornerback – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 2019 Round 2 Pick 39
It was pretty obvious the Bucs wanted to address the holes on defense using six of their eight draft picks this year on IDP. In leagues where a cornerback is required, Bunting is a great stash that could pay out sooner rather than later. Vernon Hargreaves is probably the only lock to start this season leaving Ryan Smith, Carlton Davis, and Jamel Dean as the likely candidates Bunting will have to compete with during training camp.
Tampa Bay gets reinforcements in their defensive backfield
Central Michigan CB Sean Bunting is a Buccaneer pic.twitter.com/EczRn4YwwU
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 26, 2019
“Press ability, man coverage and he’s a ball-hawk," said Bowles of the former Central Michigan standout. "Obviously, he can only get better. We’ll get him in and get him in the program and mix him in with the other guys and try to get him better."
Ryan Connelly - Rookie – Linebacker – New York Giants – 2019 Round 5 Pick 143
Connelly will most likely start the season as the backup to B.J. Goodson. It’s very possible Goodson is gone next year via free agency as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2019 season. I like Connelly’s speed, his vision as a run stopper and his underrated skills in coverage. Connelly is more than just a two down plug and could find himself on the field often to help out the struggling Giants linebacker corps in 2019.
🎶 New York, New York 🎶@Giants fans, get familiar with the name Ryan Connelly...
New York just drafted itself an absolute stud at linebacker#OnWisconsin // #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/i9lCdi4uXc
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) April 27, 2019
John Cominsky – Rookie – Defensive End – Atlanta Falcons – 2019 Round 4 Pick 135
Cominsky is raw but his abilities are obvious. We know Vic Beasley, Takkarist McKinley and Adrian Clayborn will hold down the top three defensive end spots for the Falcons in 2019 but I’m liking this stash for 2020 and beyond. Cominsky gets a slight bump up in 2019 with Steven Means going down with an Achilles injury but you’ll still have to temper any relevant IDP production from him this season.
https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1122200407751532544
Keke Kingsley – Rookie – Defensive Tackle – Green Bay Packers – 2019 Round 5 Pick 150
Expect Kingsley to be part of a heavy rotation as the Packers bounce between three and four man fronts this season. Three man fronts should be led by Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels and Dean Lowry while Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith sneak in on four man fronts. Don’t forget about Rashan Gary as well.
The Packers need consistent pressure even though they finished with the eighth most sacks in 2018. There are certainly a lot of cooks in the kitchen but they finally have the depth to keep their line fresh which will help boost their pressure off the line to improve on their 44 sack total from 2018.
With the 150th pick the Packers selected Kingsley Keke - Defensive Lineman - Texas A&M. Here's what I saw on film, including some highlights, and some things that Keke will need to work on to be successful in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/XfJfW9LiqE
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) May 7, 2019
The Verdict
As crazy as some of these stasheS sound, they aren't as crazy as Antonio Brown's blond mustache.
