This article references and more! 30 year-old veteran Paul Kruger, recently released by the Cleveland Browns, will sign with New Orleans. The Saints have been desperate to improve their defense and have also signed vets Cortland Finnegan and Roman Harper to shore up a defense that was second-worst in the league last season. Kruger has registered 18 sacks in the past three years and will certainly be given ample playing time. Sacking coordinator Rob Ryan and replacing him with former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen was the first [...]Keep on reading: Paul Kruger Signing with Saints, Adds Sorely Needed Pass-Rush to Defense

Round 1 of the 2013 NFL draft is in the books and the Individual Defensive Player (IDP) landscape has been shifted yet again as we look forward to next season. Positions of need have been addressed and the big name talents we have been evaluating and pontificating over for months are now finding their NFL homes. Just where their fantasy value lies is yet to be truly determined as there are veterans who will not give their jobs up easily and rookie prospects that fade under the pressure of being in the big show. Here is an initial quick-hitting look at the IDP prospects drafted in the first round and just what fantasy value they may hold heading into the 2013 season. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Miami: The Dolphins jumped up to the third overall pick to secure their bookend pass rushing threat opposite Cameron Wake. Jordan can also drop into coverage or be a pass rushing outside linebacker option when the Dolphins run their hybrid 3-4 defensive look. Jordan may start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list (shoulder surgery) but will be ready to go for Week 1 and figures to log plenty of snaps as a rookie. He is a superb athlete with a burst off the edge that will enable him to rack up nice sack totals and has the sideline-to-sideline speed to also be effective in defending the run. His designation will determine his fantasy value and it would suit IDP owners better if he is designated as a defensive end as his tackle totals as an outside linebacker may put a cap on his value. Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, DE, Detroit: The Lions stood pat at No. 5 and watched the big three offensive tackles go off the board before their selection. As a consolation prize, the freakishly athletic 6-foot-5, 271-pound Ansah will do just nicely, thank you. Ansah fills an immediate need at the defensive end position with the loss of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril as pass rushers. He is still a bit raw as a latecomer to football but his 62 tackles (13 for a loss) and 4� 1/2 sacks last season illustrate what Detroit sees in him. Pencil him in as a starter from Day 1 as a pass rushing specialist who is solid against the run along the defensive front for the Lions and a DL3 out of the gate. Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, Cleveland: Mingo is an ideal fit for new defensive coordinator Ray Horton's defense and teams with the newly acquired Paul Kruger and Jabaal Sheard (unless the Browns deal him) to give the Browns three athletic, edge speed rushers. He will assume an outside...

The glamour boys of the Individual Defensive Player (IDP) world are the linebackers, and bolstering your fantasy squad with elite level fantasy producers is vital. After the big names have flown off the board, it is time to identify and target the players who offer value late in drafts to support your stud linebackers and offer solid fantasy contribution. They are there and they will be available at a value-position after you add some quality defensive lineman and defensive backs. As always, know the specific scoring format of the league you are participating in as some of the following names will be ‘big-play,' sack-producing options, while others will offer above-average tackle numbers with a chance at producing the occasional big play via interception or forced fumble. Let's go fishing for those late-round options that can help to keep fantasy teams in the hunt for championships. Thomas Howard, OLB, Cincinnati : Howard was a Top 25 fantasy linebacker in four of his five seasons for the Oakland Raiders from 2006-10, actually finishing in the Top 15 in 2007 and 2008. He was signed by the Bengals prior to last season as injury insurance to their linebacker position and paid immediate dividends when called upon to replace the injured Keith Rivers. Howard finished the season leading the Bengals in tackles, with just under 100 total stops, a sack and one forced fumble. Howard finished the season once again among the Top 20 fantasy linebackers, showing the experience and leadership skills that Cincinnati lacked on the defensive side of the ball. He was impressive enough that Cincinnati made the decision to ship Rivers to the Giants, and he is entrenched as a starting outside linebacker for the Bengals heading into 2012. While Howard may never match the 110 total stops he amassed back in 2006, as a three-down linebacker for the Bengals he has an excellent chance at leading the team in tackles once again in 2012. Draft him late as a solid LB3 and insurance for your studs, should they suffer an injury. Wesley Woodyard, OLB, Denver: Woodyard is often dismissed in fantasy circles due entirely to his size. At 6-foot and 227 pounds, he is considered too small to be a consistent fantasy producer. All Woodyard has done when called upon is put up excellent tackle numbers and prove proficient enough at the position to be a three-down player. He racked up 97 total tackles last season and forced two fumbles while starting in seven games and playing in 15 total ...

Teams across the National Football League recently conducted organized team activities, and while the biggest fantasy story of OTAs may have been the broken foot suffered by New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks there was plenty of news that could have an impact on the value of several Individual Defensive Players, including a significant injury on the defensive side of the ball as well. That injury was suffered by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who tore his Achilles' tendon while participating in OTAs on May 10th. Some had predicted a breakout sophomore season for Bowers, who started the last six games of 2011 for the Bucs after a knee injury delayed the beginning of his NFL career. Now, with Bowers quite possibly out for the entire season another major injury has decimated Bowers' fantasy value, leaving veteran Michael Bennett as the starter (and a serviceable IDP DL3) at defensive end for at least one more season in Tampa. Baltimore Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs didn't tear his Achilles' at OTAs, but developments at Ravens OTAs may have shed some light on how the team intends to replace the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, who is out until at least November after suffering the injury while working out in Arizona. When MyFantasyLeague.com released their latest set of positional eligibility changes at the beginning of May veteran Paul Kruger was listed as a linebacker while rookie second-round pick Courtney Upshaw was listed as a defensive end, which would imply that Upshaw would slide into Suggs' "hybrid" role and possess more IDP value. However, Kruger lined up with has hand down at Baltimore's OTAs, while Upshaw was slotted at the SOLB, which would change matters significantly. Granted, this is a fluid situation that could change multiple times between now and opening day. If things hold as they stand today more positional eligibility changes may be in store, and while Kruger's redraft fantasy value would receive a sizable bump as Suggs' replacement Upshaw's short-term IDP value will take a big hit if he stays outside on the strong side of the Ravens' 3-4 defense. That wasn't the only IDP surprise of organized team activities, as Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo pulled an interesting switcheroo at outside linebacker, installing rookie Mychal Kendricks as the first-team strong side linebacker over third-year pro Jamar Chaney, who had 92 tackles for the team in 2011. Given Chaney's ...

The 2012 NFL Draft is over and fantasy fanatics crave rankings, any type of rankings. With sweet memories of the draft still ringing in our ears, listen closely and Mike Mayock can still be heard saying, for the fifth time "This kid is my favorite guy in this year's draft." It is time to get some rankings out there, and what better way to start than with the top rookie Individual Defensive Player (IDP) prospects for 2012? OK, so there are probably a few better ways to start, especially for folks that don't participate in any IDP leagues, so we will let this be the bell ringing for everyone to join an IDP league! Let's get to it. No. 1 Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina: Move over Jon Beason (literally, this kid is playing in the middle for the Panthers), there is a new sheriff in town, and his name is Kuechly! He is a fantasy No. 1 linebacker from Day 1. No. 2 Lavonte David, OLB, Tampa Bay: The kid will be the WILL linebacker for the Buccaneers from Day 1 and could post more than 100 tackles his rookie season. Solid No. 2 fantasy linebacker with No. 1 upside. No. 3 Mark Barron, SS, Tampa Bay: Two rookie Buccaneers already? Yeah, their defense was that bad in 2011. Barron will team with Ronde Barber, who is switching to a free safety position this season, and be the run stuffing safety in Tampa Bay. Very solid No. 2 fantasy defensive back with big play potential. No. 4 Mychal Kendricks, ILB, Philadelphia: Philadelphia has been searching for quality linebacker play for the past few seasons. Hello DeMeco Ryans and Kendricks, problem solved. High end No. 2 fantasy linebacker, with No. 1 upside should Ryans go down. No. 5 Andre Branch, DE, Jacksonville: Traditionally, Jacksonville is where rookie defensive ends go to disappear. Remember Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves? Don't worry, nobody else does either. Sheer volume of time on the field for a bad Jaguar team makes Branch a viable fantasy option. Steady No. 2 fantasy defensive lineman. No. 6 Bobby Wagner, LB, Seattle: The Seahawks just need to figure out where to start Wagner and turn him loose. He is a tackling machine with the athleticism to drop into coverage. Fantasy gold. Another high end No. 2 fantasy linebacker with definite No. 1 linebacker potential. No. 7 Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Baltimore: The Terrell Suggs injury vaults Upshaw into this ranking. The Ravens will utilize the threesome of Paul Kruger, Pernell McPhee and Upshaw all over the place on the outside to create mismatches and get to ...