The Mysterious Case of Channing Crowder

I have a serious issue with Channing Crowder.  You see, in the offseason, I had a chance to upgrade my team at another position via trade and the asking price from the other owner was one of the two linebackers who were competing to be my No. 3 starting linebacker in 2009:  Channing Crowder and Chad Greenway.  In most leagues, Crowder and Greenway would be solid No. 2 starters but I was lucky enough to have D.J. Williams and DeMeco Ryans as my top two starters. 

I liked Crowder’s stat line from last year: 92 solos and 21 assists.  These numbers were perfect for the tackle-heavy league I have him in. Greenway had a good season in 2008 as well. However, they both had red flags that made kept them from being safe bets.

The Dolphins signed Gibril Wilson to play free safety alongside Yeremiah Bell who was going to remain at strong safety. Both Wilson and Bell are tackle machines and would undoubtedly take opportunities from Crowder. Meanwhile, although Greenway had a career season in 2008, part of the surge in his numbers was due the season-ending injury to middle linebacker E.J. Henderson in Week 5. Greenway moved from the SAM to the MIKE and was able to post 86 solos and 29 assists. I was concerned that, with Henderson healthy again, Greenway would move back to the SAM and his tackle numbers would drop.

In the end, I traded away Greenway because I was more certain that Crowder would be the safer choice to keep. Was I wrong? No. Was I catastrophically wrong? Absolutely. Through the first six games, Crowder only had 17 solos and 6 assists. That’s not a typo, unfortunately. I knew that Wilson and Bell could affect Crowder’s statistics but he was on pace for 45 solos and 14 assists. That’s horrible for any 4-3 middle linebacker. He was dropped in most of my IDP leagues – and justifiably so.

The Dolphins had a bye in Week 7 and Crowder missed Weeks 8 and 9 due to a shoulder problem. Reportedly fully healthy, he came back with a vengeance last week against Tampa Bay with 9 assists and a sack. Rumors have been running around that Crowder had been bothered by his shoulder ailment all season and that the three-week rest gave him an opportunity to heal and come back strong. Of course, it’s only a rumor since the Dolphins and Crowder won’t confirm that he’s been hurt the entire time.

This whole development is starting to give me some foolish hope that he can still be a weekly starter going forward. Believe it or not, my optimism actually comes from an unlikely source: Will Witherspoon. What? How does ‘Spoon become a part of the Crowder saga? Last season, Witherspoon had a terrible year finishing with 57 solos and 15 assists in 16 games with the Rams. In fact, he wasn’t even a starter by the last few games of the season. A lot of people predicted that it was the end of the line for him. As it turns out, Witherspoon was suffering from two shoulder injuries that hampered him all season. The Rams and ‘Spoon kept it quiet and the news didn’t come out until the offseason. Fully healthy, he’s looked a lot like the old ‘Spoon in 2009.

Was Week 10 simply an anomaly? Is Crowder finally fully healthy and ready to be a fantasy force in the home stretch now that he can tackle without pain? It remains to be seen.