patsox23

Think "Defensive Playmaker" during this run and the following names leap to mind: Law, Vrabel, McGinest, Bruschi, Harrison, Seymour and Colvin (a bit). Even if Law comes back, the only "next generation" playmakers on D are Seymour and maybe Colvin. Vrabel is sort of on the fence, age-wise, between "next generation" and "last generation."

This is not to say that Bruschi and Harrison and Vrabel (and Law, if he returns) are no longer playmakers, but whereas the O seems to have re-stocked somewhat during the run - Branch, Jackson, Watson, Thomas, Maroney - the defense has not done so, at least not as much.

Sure, Asante and Geno have potential - and more than that, they HAVE made some plays. But I don't see them, so far, as being "playmakers" on the level of the people mentioned above. Guys like Law and Milloy (for a time) and Harrison for the DBs, players like McGinest and Vrabel and Bruschi at LB - these guys have made a TON of big plays.

On the defensive side of the ball, we need to start either developing or drafting the next generation of defensive playmakers. In some ways it's not possible to know for sure WHAT we have, but we're going to NEED to know (and we're going to need to start seeing) some big-time playmakers soon.

So who are they? So far, obviously there's Seymour, Colvin and...I guess I look at Ellis Hobbs. Hope for James Sanders. But then...what? Hopefully 2006 will bring good news. Hopefully it will mark a passing of the torch - or at least a spark of recognition on our part that there are some worthy heirs in a Mincey or a Claridge, maybe some more from Randall Gay.

I've gotta say, it does worry me a bit. As the LB's that we've known so long get older (and as some of them leave) - we really, at some point, need to see any evidence of potential descendents. And thus far the cupboard's looking pretty bare - especially at LB. I think, though, that the upcoming season promises to, at least, give us some answers. And I'm optimistic. Cautious, a little concerned, but optimistic.

Thoughts?

Willie55

The defensive line of Seymour, Wilfork and Warren. All are so young and are considered to be one of the best in the NFL.

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Mike the Brit

I agree that, obviously, this was a more offense-oriented draft -- as was last year, inasmuch as we used a first and a third on O-linemen.

But I don't think that the Patriots defense is primarily about "playmakers". Sure, we need people to make the sack, hold on to the interception, and I've no doubt how much we missed Bruschi and Harrison when they weren't there last season, although that was as much for their on-field generalship as for their exceptional abilities, I think.

Think back to the Patriots' games when the defense played exceptionally well and you can remember all sorts making big plays -- Poole, Wilson, Jarvis Green.

Obviously, some players play positions where they are more likely to make the game-changing plays and some players are just better than others, but the principal idea is: the defense works when EVERYONE does his job. The Patriots D is a no-weak-links rather than a playmaker defense, so far as I can see.

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patsox23

I concur with both of these posts to some degree, but I still stand by my original point - this team needs players, particularly at LB and DB, who will be "the next McGinest," the next "Bruschi," the next "Ty Law" who can be high-level playmakers for the next generation of the Patriots. So far I don't see many. I hope they're about to step up.

Brady-To-Branch

For those of you out there keeping an eye on Donnie Edwards...

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=12108

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patsox23

Okay, but this thread is really about "the NEXT generation" of playmakers and, while Donnie would certainly qualify as a playmaker, he's pretty long in the tooth for this discussion's purposes. But good to have the info.

5 Rings for Brady!!

The one magic thing that Parcells has done at a couple franchises was to bring in really good lifetime players thru the draft. He really put the talent base in NE for our superbowl runs. Unfortunately, the prick did the same thing for the Jets. Now, in Dallas, after waiting just a little too long, he is getting his type of players in there, and drafting players with a good future for the franchise. I really believe that Parcells needs to hang it up as a coach and become a GM. He would have less stress and be very good at his job.....

So the question is whether Bioli can do what Parcells did, and put in a bunch of lifetime achievers to replenish our team. It is not accurate to say that our team doesn't need playmakers, we do. We ran some scrubs thru our 'great system defense' last year, and it didn't work worth a crap.

Bioli simply needs to replenish the defense with REAL TALENT. No system in the world works with scrubs just doing their job. Seymour was the first big achiever for the Pats, and so far, the only one we can all agree on as being a difference maker on his own. Geno needs help, it would seem, to be his best, and so does Samuels. Hobbs is unproven at this point, but seems to have potential, although I don't see him as the next Ty Law. Sanders has not shown much so far, maybe he'll improve. Milloy and Law were pretty good right out of the box, on the other hand. I actually still like Gay as much as anybody in the secondary, he is quick and has good hands, and some height.

I am worried about this defense. I think on offense, we might have brought in the next generation of playmakers. On defense, I don't see many star players.

We would not have come close to the superbowl in 2001 without Seymour to cover for all the scrubs on our D-Line. That was still Seymour's biggest impact year, in my opinion. As soon as the Chiefs neutralized Seymour in 2002 with triple teams (including the tight end or fullback in many plays), our defense went in the toilet for the rest of the year.

bunzoburns

Parcells comes into the picture when the teams are rock bottom and they have high draft picks. Granted, he picks the right players but he is usually in the position to choose the best.

5 Rings for Brady!!

I agree, but Belichick also picked high in the 2001 draft. They came away with one really good player and one starting quality player. My point is mainly that Bioli needs to demonstrate that they are up to the task of rebuilding this defense. The Parcells part was simply a brief history of where the Law's and Bruschi's came from.

I like the way Bioli drafts, I just think that they have not struck 'gold' yet on some picks, even the picks that have led to starters like Geno, or Samuels.

Until we have the next group of playmakers in here, I will be nervous about our Defense.

Julius

What!!! No love for Klecko...Shame

Uh Seriously the new generation of play makers are on the D-line. If they play up to potential the rest of the defense will reap the benefits in terms of big play opportunities.