JR4

This is the thinking on other fan sites. We see new improved D while
other non Patriot fans see a Defense in transition with a lots to prove.

Reasons goes something like:

Green replaces Seymour -- downgrade
Woods replaces Vrabel -- dowgrade
Guyton replaces Bruschi -- downgrade
Meriweather replaces Harrison -- downgrade
xxxxx replaces Samuel -- downgrade

some of those downgrades are short term until new player becomes seasoned Vet.
Of course they are thinking of these old Vets as in their Prime.

Plus - lots of new pieces that need to learn to play true team defense.
Therefore there will be a learning curve this year and they still may not
end up being as good as the old vets no longer here.

While there is some truth to the above I still think the starters have the
experience needed. I also think BB has changed what he wants to do on D
and these players best fit his new concepts. I think it will be a faster defense.

cstjohn17

Bingo, faster, younger, cheaper and worse...

but if they can play at a league average level (22 PPG) the Pats will still make the playoffs. Hopefully they are the learning and improving type of defense.

Jared

Simpler answer is none of the bolded players are who they were in their prime. Only Vrabel could have stuck around, but was moved due to his cap number. Seymour was a downgrade, sure, but considering he was going to be gone at the end of the season, we're basically getting a free pick at the expense of one season of play.

Patriot_in_NY

Green ---> not at all as much of a downgrade as people think, particularly the way BB is gonna use the front 4 (he's faster and lighter than Sey).

Woods ---> Not the way vrab's played last year, and he did not get younger this offseason.

Guyton ---> That's only said by unobservant people. Silly at this point Bru (and we all love him) was toast.

Meriweather ---> Rodney couldn't stay on the field last year. Brandon was already assuming Rodney's roll already.

xxxxxx ---> Could be. Bodden looks solid so far, but the real issue is the other side with Springs/Wilhite. Time will tell.

Rob0729

First, we don't know if Woods is replacing Vrabel. In a 4-3, Woods doesn't start.

Second, Guyton was arguably better than Bruschi last year. Bruschi was a liability in coverage and nothing special close to the line. I think Guyton is an upgrade.

Third, Meriweather replaced Harrison last year. People seem to forget that Harrison hasn't played football since October of last year. He missed the final ten games.

Fourth, whoever starts this year is not replacing Samuel. They are replacing Deltha O'Neal and Ellis Hobbs. Actually Whilhite already replaced O'Neal last year. Samuel hasn't played for this team for a year now.

spacecrime

Good points.

Then again, in 2002 we went 9-7 with a lousy defense. Then in the off season we replaced Brandon Mitchell with Steve Martin, a definite downgrade. Then a couple days before the season starts, Lawyer Milloy gets cut and instead of the tandem of Milloy and Harrison we get Harrison and some rookie who never played safety in his career, a downgrade of incredible proportions. And look how the D performed in 2003.

I see what you say, but I think the Bruschi, Harrison, Vrabel etc were losing effectiveness and it was time to replace them with the next round of players.

Personallly, i like the 2009 D better than the 2008 D, but whatever, it's all on paper until Mondy nite.

__________________
“When we look at the board, based on everything we want in a football player at that particular time, we evaluate them and take the player that fits best for our football team. That’s what we always do, and I think the last nine years we’ve put a pretty competitive team out there on the field every year. I think that’s how you do it – you get good football players. Sometimes they are not always at the No. 1 position, but I don’t think you pass up good football players to get the guys who aren’t as good just because they’re at a position that somebody feels you need.”
BB on his draft philosophy, April 2010

loosebearing

Dismantled has meaning of torn apart

I prefer to think of it as a rebuilding year.

And only BB can have a rebuilding year and still be ranked as one of the top 8 teams in the league

jmt57

There are some holes in those arguments. For starters those fans are probably thinking of previous years versions of the players that left, so it is like comparing apples to oranges. Are they comparing '09 Guyton to '09 Bruschi, or '03 Bruschi for example? Same goes with Harrison and Vrabel. Comparisons to how those vets played five or six years ago are irrelevant since they would not be playing at that same level this year.

If they're comparing them to how they feel the vets would probably do this year, then they are simply proving that they don't know enough about the Pats to come up with that conclusion. The '09 version of Harrison is not as good as the '09 version of Meriweather, and the same holds true in the Bruschi and even Vrabel comparisons.

The only position that they may have a point with is at DE with Seymour and Green. But considering the chance of Seymour walking away as a free agent next year, versus getting Oakland's #1 draft pick, then it is worth the downgrade. Samuel is another situation that you need to look a the big picture. Signing Seymour and Samuel to contract extensions would have caused major problems elsewhere on the roster in regards to having to cut other players and being unable to sign free agents.

pats1

Guyton replaces Bruschi, 2008 = upgrade
Burgress/Green replaces Vrabel = upgrade
Green/Brace replaces Seymour = downgrade
Meriweather replaces Harrison, 2008 = upgrade

patchick

The 2008 defense has clearly been dismantled.
The 2009 defense has just been freshly mantled.
Given the 2008 version's subpar performance on certain key measures that led to lots of angst here, a little re-mantling was probably in order, no?

The original post may be exaggerating the issue by referencing the 2006-2007 era defense, not last year's. Of the swaps listed, the only clear downgrade from 2008 in the original post is Seymour. Bruschi & Vrabel were no longer impact players last season; Samuel was already gone. Also, I'd argue that the non-Samuel & Harrison DB spots look like an improvement over 2007 at this point.

I honestly have no instinct right now about how it's going to play out. With so many moving pieces, I don't expect to know for several weeks at least. I'm more intrigued than nervous, though.