farn

This TC is going to get very, very interesting. IMO, one of the most interesting aspects is the number of players who have done good things in the league, but may have had injuries or other setbacks. Most of the talk involves the frontline stars or the rookies' potential.

Who are going to be the guys to step up and contribute this year ?

McGowan and TBC, for example are getting no publicity whatsoever. Can they make a difference for NE this year ?

Box_O_Rocks

There have been several articles about TBC's return to NE and his effort to win a job at OLB since Training Camp started. McGowan had one Maine paper talk about him coming back to NE, but he has been mentioned in the fan training camp reports and in a couple blogs.
-- TBC appears to be in the running for #3 OLB - at least until Crable gets off PUP and shows what he can do.
-- McGowan has taken some reps with the ones, but he seems to be running mostly with the twos alongside Chung, which suggests he's making progress towards #3 or 4 S.

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Urgent

TBC right now benefits from the lack of depth at OLB. That he is #3 is less about his abilities and more about the lack of a Taylor/Burgess, draft pick, or Crable and Redd.

McGowan, however, faces an interesting situation.
Sanders and Meriweather are returning starters.
Chung is the top draft pick. Tough to see McGowan as #3.
Tank Williams has extra versatility as a coverage ILB, in a role similar to Don Davis.
Ray Ventrone is leading the special teams units right now, and has some (very limited) offensive flexibility.

McGowan sort of looks like the fourth best safety, but both Williams and Ventrone offer something else. Very interesting competition there.

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patfanken

Ventrone is being used EXCLUSIVELY as a WR right now and has NOTHING to add to the safety situation. And for that matter, Williams has been used ALMOST exclusively with the LBs in group and team drills. Which leads me to believe that BB is happy with Merriweather/Sanders, Chung/McGowan Plus Slater and Love, and will probably keep 4 of those, and probably the first 4.

BTW- Why all the talk about a lack of depth at the OLB position. How many guys do you think they are going to keep anyway. 4 MAYBE 5. So right now you have Woods and Thomas, Crabel and TCB, and then JAGs like this new kid they signed and Alexander, who has seen a lot of work on the outside this preseason. So they ALL have be all pros to have "depth".

The fact of the matter is EVEN IF we had drafted an OLB project like my favorite binky, Corwin Barwin. IT is very doubtful that they'd be ANY factor this year, and the Depth wouldn't be just as bad according to you.

RayClay

I don't consider a quantity of unknowns to be depth. At this point they need to pay for a veteran, unless they get lucky and one drops in their lap, in my opinion.

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patfanken

Well Ray you are entitled to your opinion, and they may very well get some Vet to come into camp. But I'm not sure that even if they do, that the OLB situation will be better, nor will you. Tell me, are you really going to breath a sigh of relief if they DO manage to grab Burgess. WTF would HE make you feel better about the position???? IIRC he's a 32 year old guy who is at least a couple of years from when he was concidered a decent pass rusher....in a COMPLETELY different defense.

Also in the age of the salary cap, the fact is that you will ALWAYS have positions where "unknowns" are going to have step in and perform at unexpect levels. See: Tom Brady, Matt Light, Dan Koppen, Eugene Wilson, Steve Neal, David Givens, Deon Branch, Randell Gay, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Right now its quite amazing that the ONLY position we seem to have this level of anxiety with is OLB. I'd speculate that there are 30 other teams in the league who would like to be in that situation with only ONE. And I would opine that like ALL those mentioned before them, recent history tells us that that someone will step up and excell. Wouldn't you think???

Box_O_Rocks

Save your energy on this one Ken, when it comes to LB, Ray isn't a glass half empty guy, he's a call the manager someone's been stealing my water guy.

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Joker

water thieves...what's next?

Box_O_Rocks

Ice Pirates.

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Joker

saw it...saucked

I rather steal signals