mgteich

I agree with all your assessment of where we are as of now. I just think that Harrison may not have the will to bring himself back to game shape after a serious injury yet again. ANd, of course, he is a free agent. However, as we go into 2009, we need to be thinking about developing players for 2010 and beyond. Let's see the effect of free agency (and age) on the 2010 picture which we should use the draft to improve. We have major holes, even if everyone remains healthy.

DL We will have Warren and perhaps Smith. Wright is signed through 2008. Seymour, Wilfork and Green are signed through 2009.

ILB We have 2 starters and no depth.

OLB We will Thomas, Crable and Redd.

CB Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite and Richardson

S Meriweather
James Sanders in a free agent this year. Harrison could be a backup, but unlikely.

BOTTOM LINE
DL) We will likely need help. Wilfork is worth whatever he wants. However it seems unlikely that ALL of the other three will extend.
LB) If Crable and Redd work out, we would have almost completely solved the LB problem with the four 2009 acquisitions. Even so, depth at ILB is needed.
DB) This has been a four year turnover. So far, we have added Meriweather, Wheatley Wilhite and Richardson. Hopefully, that's at least a starting free safety, a starting nickel and a dime back who plays ST's. Add Hobbs and we're only half done on building a backfield. We are still 3-4 players short. We need a starting CB, a starting SS and a backup safety or two. James Sanders could be a backup safety, but it seems likely that ONE team would want him as a starter.

The good news is that we are in reasonable 2009 cap shape and also have lots of 2009 draft choices.

Seneschal2

Excellent work -- appreciate your effort!

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And this post is worthy of it's own thread:

The LCB position is near vacant when you compare what exists now, to the playmaking abilities of Law and Samuel.

And then there's Rodney. Sure, he slowed some. But the smarts and leadership he exhibited would prove to be valuable to the entire unit's current woes...not to mention his physicality, which certainly intimidates the opposition's receivers. And let's not forget the fact he is/was the all-time sack leader among Safeties. How many of us have been wanting one of those timely blitzes of late?

Those are just two missing ingredients from this team's defense. We can also add the one-winged play of our edge-rushing OLBs, and the obvious imbalance (inexperience vs experience) of the back eight.

Just some reasoning/opinion behind the troubled D. Cause for concern yes -- but mucho hope remains...

__________________
"What we want to try to do is maximize each spot on the roster; we want to be stronger at No. 1 than the opponent, stronger at No. 25 than they are, and stronger at No. 53 than they are, we're always looking to upgrade the talent level on the team, and play together to be functional."
- Bill Belichick -

cstjohn17

Nice breakdown, very balanced. I would give AD more props for his versatility alone. He can play all 4 LB positions as well as DE but that is a minor point.

My answer (and personal binkie) is Terrell Suggs with 2 of the first 6 picks being for the secondary. He will get a killer contract but adds a whole new dimension to the defense, offenses could not defend Suggs and AD 1:1, leaving some mismatches. He is only 26 and also brings a much needed swagger.

Think of this front seven.

Warren, Wilfork, Seymour <-- needs more depth
Suggs, Guyton, Mayo, Thomas

LB depth = Vrabel, Bruschi, Woods, Redd, Alexander, Izzo

JackBauer

I think that Sanders will be re-signed, and will be the starting S next year.

There are simply too many holes elsewhere to expect us to replace him. He's been starting now for how long, and saw the field a bunch earlier this year even when Rodney was healthy.

Sanders is about the fifth or sixth starter I would replace at this point. It deserves mentioning that it's a little difficult to evaluate the secondary this year due to the chronic lack of a pass rush (speaking of pass rush, what happened to Jarvis Green?). It is, however, crystal clear that Deltha O'Neal is this year's Duane Starks, pass rush be damned.

BionicPatriot

Great thread.

I agree, we need another CB. Not a FA street bum, and actual respectable CB. We don't need a great one, we deep depth though because they always go down. As long as our pass rush can return, they'll get the job done.

OLB is the real problem. ADT is good, I understand. But he seemed to really get after it the first 2 or so weeks, than it stopped. Did he fall off? Was the scheme different? I agree he was valuable alone for his versatility, and I'm OK with him as a starter. I just have been dissapointed. The Adalius in SB 42 is the Adalius I want to see on Sunday's.

We need a new SS. Ever since Harrison had a big injury in 05, and being nailed again in 06, the safety play has really fallen off. I don't think people are wrong blaming the deep balls on the secondary, but just on who. It seems we love to think CBs are the end all for the defense, they make all the plays and **** them all up. The funny thing is when deep balls kill you, that's safety play. I really think Sanders has sucked back there this year.

Meriweather is dissapointing this season. I think people over rate him. For once, the fact we think he's a star because he makes INTs tells me everything. A great DB makes all kind of plays, not just INTs. I've yet to see him constantly be on his man, breaking up passes, making big stops. A few INTs doesn't convince me. I think he deserves enough time to develop and he's looked good at times. He definantly looks like he can grow into a possible player. But I don't see the whole star potential.

__________________
Defense, defense, defense

BradyToMoss

I really think Sanders has sucked back there this year.

James Sanders really shouldn't be a starter, but unfortunately, much like the situation with Deltha First-Down-Cushion, he's best we have. He's a role player and is really a 3rd safety on most teams, a depth guy, yet we have to start him.

I can't remember his last pick and the guy is never, ever around the football. He has taken bad tackling angles many times in the past (see KC week one and many others such as the Addai before the half screen for a TD in Indy, just to name a few). For a 4th round pick, that's about what you get, he's peaked, he won't get any better and I hope he moves on and we get a play maker back there from the draft to pair up with Meriweather.

KillEM

He was on pace to have 8 sacks on the year. That is average.

billdog3484

nice job. seems like you put a lot of thought into the post. you seem to have a good grasp on the players. i agree for the most part.

ALP

ill have to disagree about meriweather...

he should be playing fs, but for some reason he is playing the role of ss, which is not suited to him...

watch him in running plays, the kid is always in the pile, and always b4 the runner goes down, he is amazing at run support, and since he plays ss right now, thats what he should be

if we ever get a real SS and can move meri to his true position of fs, then youll see him make all kinds of passing plays

__________________
Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

condon84

Good assessment.

I disagree on AD. He is in a different defense in NE compared to Baltimore. His first year, he was asked to play ILB and be the main LB to cover TEs or drop back in zone. He wasn't utilized as a rusher until Colvin got hurt. Even then, he still dropped back most of the time while Vrabel was the main OLB used as a rusher. The only game I can remember that AD was committed to rushing the QB was the Super Bowl and he dominated in that game.

Even this year when AD was one of the OLB, he was still being used as the OLB that dropped back into zone coverage while Vrabel rushed. The few times AD was used as a rusher, he generally generates pressure. Also, our scheme isn't one like the Steelers or the Ravens where the OLB's job is to put pressure on the offense and get to the backfield. Our OLBs are asked to engage blockers and read plays.

I wouldn't say Vrabel is our weakest link in the front seven. I'd say it's Bruschi. There are times when Bruschi is in there and the guy he is responsible for (RB) stays in the backfield to pass protect allowing Bruschi to rush the QB. It's a pathetic sight. Meanwhile, I've seen Guyton in the same predicament and when he does have the opportunity to rush the passer, he's put on some good pressure and knocked the QB down several times. Bruschi is just "there". He needs to go.

I completely agree with your assessment regarding our secondary. Hobbs is horrible. He gets beat so often for deep plays AND for intermediate AND for short completions. The guy is a scrub. He plays 10 yards off the reciever and he doesn't have the burst of speed to read and deflect short/intermediate passes and he also doesn't backpedal and transition fast enough to a full sprint to cover deep passes. Maybe he just lacks instinct and can't read plays fast enough because he always seems flat footed and a couple of steps behind.

Delta is a scrub. No analysis needed.

Merriweather is better suited for FS because of his range and athletic abilites.

Sanders is awful. Not athletic enough to keep up with recievers. He continues to baffle me by constantly using bad angles to stop ballcarriers. Special teamer at best.

Wilhite, Wheatley, and also Richardson needs some seasoning.

Our DL is one of the best.

Can't forget our scheming. Since Mangini left, our blitz package has been bland and unimaginative. We finally saw a corner blitz last week and Hobbs got a sack. Why haven't we been using more of that? Where's the zone blitzing we used to use when we were winning Super Bowls? Once upon a time, what other teams feared about playing the Pats was to get in third and long situations because they never knew what BB might bring to pressure the QB. Now, we can't even get off on 3 and 12.