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The problem was that Junior was playing full time at the end; Would you rather have a part time Junior or a part time young but not good-at-all lb? thats the real question.
I dont think anyone wants Junior as a starter; but he'd be great as the 6th or 7th LB (and his leadership / enthusiasm)
I don't think you could classify any of the newer LBs who would come in and take his place as a not-good-at-all LB.
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Originally Posted by JMarr
I don't know what kind of shape he's in but I'd like to see him back as a situational LB and mentor to the new guys. Rodney's going to have his hands full with the DBs. Vrabel and AD don't strike me as particularly communicative guys, and according to certain "inside sources" LOL, Bruschi doesn't go out of his way to mentor younger players. Also, I'm not at all sold that we're going to see an upgrade at LB, at least not until later in the season.
This would actually be the only way I'd want him back in a Pats uniform. A situational/transitional guy who can mentor the likes of Mayo/Crable/etc.
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He hasn't retired, so you can safely assume that he is at home and not at all missing Training Camp. He will likely sign near the end of Camp if BB sees a need.
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
Yes, they were being burned over the middle more than elsewhere. However, I view that as a product of a relatively poor pass defending quartet of 2 inside linebackers and 2 safeties who really aren't cover safeties at this stage in their careers. Had the rookie safety been NFL ready and starting from day 1, I suspect things would have been much different on a lot of those third downs.
Which is why I want the defense as a whole (not just the LB corps) to get younger. Younger legs are better in coverage. I'd still love for Rodney to be out there to perhaps lay out the occasional vicious hit though. But I just hope Meriweather transforms into a ball hawking safety this year. And, from what I've read in TC reports, he is on his way to doing just that.
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Which is why I want the defense as a whole (not just the LB corps) to get younger. Younger legs are better in coverage. I'd still love for Rodney to be out there to perhaps lay out the occasional vicious hit though. But I just hope Meriweather transforms into a ball hawking safety this year. And, from what I've read in TC reports, he is on his way to doing just that.
This younger legs things is not true, though. Meriweather's legs were younger last year, but he'll be better in coverage this year. There's a combination of talent, experience, speed and quickness that gives you the kind of player you're looking at. This defense that people have been foolishly maligning all off-season was among the best in the NFL and helped get the team to 18 straight wins. Then, in the one game the team lost, the problem on the defensive side of the ball was with younger players who failed to get the job done.
The reality is that the Patriots' defense was pretty young last year. The only places with real age were at ILB and Rodney, and part of the reason for even that much age being on the field was yet another injury to a younger player (Colvin).
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This younger legs things is not true, though. Meriweather's legs were younger last year, but he'll be better in coverage this year.
I should have clarified this a little more, but by "younger legs" I meant defenders under the age of 33.
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There's a combination of talent, experience, speed and quickness that gives you the kind of player you're looking at.
True. I will agree with you that there is absolutely no substitute for experience. But, as you know from your years of playing football, the old addage is 'speed kills'. Experience is a must, but you must be able to defend the quickness of the other team as well. There's only so much a soft zone can mask. Case and point: watch Seau and Bruschi try to cover L.T. in the AFCCG. The keyword is TRY. And this is taking into account the fact that L.T. had a bum knee.
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This defense that people have been foolishly maligning all off-season was among the best in the NFL and helped get the team to 18 straight wins.
I'm not maligning it. I'll even go so far as to say that the defense was the only reason the Giants' score was no higher in the Super Bowl. However, that fourth place ranking in 2007 is severely masked by the fact that opponents were almost always playing from behind and out of their element having to pass the ball constantly in order to keep up with our offense.
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Then, in the one game the team lost, the problem on the defensive side of the ball was with younger players who failed to get the job done.
LOL, to be honest with you, I was pretty hammered throughout that whole game. The only part I remember is the 4th quarter so I can't really comment on whether or not we were getting burned over the middle all day.
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The reality is that the Patriots' defense was pretty young last year. The only places with real age were at ILB and Rodney, and part of the reason for even that much age being on the field was yet another injury to a younger player (Colvin).
Agreed. Our defensive line (should we resign Wilfork) will be set for a long time. The secondary is still young and got even younger in the draft. The only two areas of concern are a safety spot and our LBs. One we addressed in the draft, the other I have a feeling we will address next year.
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Agreed. Our defensive line (should we resign Wilfork) will be set for a long time. The secondary is still young and got even younger in the draft. The only two areas of concern are a safety spot and our LBs. One we addressed in the draft, the other I have a feeling we will address next year.
By the way, I don't disagree with the idea that this group's (ILBs) experience is starting to be outweighed by its physical decline. I just think that a healthy Seymour, healthy Colvin and a faster adjusting Meriweather would have made a world of difference last year, and also that the experience of Seau would be capable of helping this season.
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"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius
Two simple words..."Shadow Roster" Injuries happen. Seau enjoys staying in shape.
That being said I think we'll see BB moving on and shaking up the D this year. Capers' hire was one sign. I think we'll see an injection of more youth onto the 53 than usual. Obvious reasons include the possibility that this could well be 54s & 37s last seasons. I also think that BB is not at all satisfied with how well his D has played at the end of the last 2 seasons, diminishing his legacy. (Delete long repeat posts to follow about how Feb was a team loss, with which I agree) BB is a football historian and he does not need decades of his great defenses sullied by perceived collapses.
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Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH
I also think that BB is not at all satisfied with how well his D has played at the end of the last 2 seasons, diminishing his legacy. BB is a football historian and he does not need decades of his great defenses sullied by perceived collapses.
I hope you don't really think that losing an AFC title game and losing a SB sullies his legacy in anyway. He certainly could have improved upon his legacy had he won those but to say falling 2 wins and one shy of two more titles sullies you legacy is crazy. BB legacy is firmly in hand and IMO there is not much that will change that.
I mean I always thought of Belichick as one of the 2 or 3 greatest coaches of all time but he has lost an AFC title game and the SB so now he is a bum (or now he is #5 all time).
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Last edited by signbabybrady; 07-31-2008 at 02:38 PM..
BB does not have a laid back, fanboy view of his past accomplishments. One more time, as a football historian, he sets a very stringent goal for himself in history. He's hardly satisfied with how the past seasons finished. He's doing something concerted to address the problems.
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Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH
Re: Where is Seau?
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