VrabelJr

These are our current defensive linemen (this includes NT, DT, and 3-4 DE):

Vince Wilfork - Stud starter
Kyle Love - Ideally a depth guy with not too high of a ceiling
Brandon Deaderick - Not a starter on most teams but intriguing ceiling
Jonathan Fanene - Previously a depth guy at various DT and LDE positions in 4-3. Can he play the 5-tech as a DE?
Ron Brace -
Myron Pryor - Was the starter next to Vince as the penetrating DT/DE
Marcus Harrison - Wild card, camp fodder?
Alex Silvestro - Practice squad stashaway

Now lets group them based on positions they can play (I have removed Wilfork from these because he can play every position on our front as well Alex Silvestro due to high PS likelihood):

Nose Guard/Tackle
Ron Brace
Kyle Love

3-technique DT
Myron Pryor
Kyle Love
Marcus Harrison

5-technique DE
Jonathan Fanene
Brandon Deaderick

3-technique DE
Ron Brace
Kyle Love

I love that we beefed up at DE/OLB with the additions of Jones and Bequette but those guys are going to have to make the plays on their own judging by our DL. But whether we are in the 3-4 or 4-3 there is at least 1-2 positions that will be started by JAGish players. I guess we are banking on Pryor staying healthy, Fanene becoming a starter, and Deaderick and Love continuing to develop. All this pass rush help in the draft could be for naught if we don't have the guys to free them up to make the plays.

edit: I would also like to share an article on our defensive scheme. Last season we used a 4-3 under where Wilfork is always 2-gapping. To the left of him is a 2-gapping DE and the SLB. To the right of him is a 1-gapping DT and 1-gapping DE. Here's the article (yes, it's before our Super Bowl loss, I know ) http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...triots-defense

Marqui

The DL situation sure is concerning. Missing out on Red Bryant is turning out to be a much bigger loss than I expected. They also passed on Castillo. I was hoping they'd pick up at least one DT high in the draft so I have no clue how they're going to upgrade there now.

VrabelJr

I'm with you on Red Bryant. Lets hope that Fanene turns out to be a good consolation prize.

JackBauer

I like Deaderick, as does Bedard. I think the kid has potential.

DT isn't deep but the talent is there.

Sciz

Deaderick and Wilfork will have big roles in the base defense regardless of scheme. In the 3-4, my guess is either Deaderick-Wilfork-Fanene or Deaderick-Love-Wilfork. In the 4-3, Deaderick at LE plus either Love at NT and Wilfork at DT or Wilfork at NT and Fanene, Love, or Pryor at DT.

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Ron Sellers

From what I read it wasn't a case of the Pats or any other team passing on Castillo, but Castillo willing to accept less money to stay in San Diego. If a guy wants to stay where he has bought a house and is comfortable, no matter how good your sell job is it's going to be difficult to convince a person to leave sunny southern California to move cross country to a much more severe climate.


Red Bryant would have definitely been a nice addition, but it probably would have been difficult to entice him to move away from familiar settings; he got a $35 million deal over five years with a $5 million signing bonus.

I'm not saying that he's not worth it; it's just that with some of the other big contracts the Pats have it might have been difficult to offer him enough more than that so he would come play, and still have some cap flexibility.

Cellar-door

Fanene supposedly played DT pretty extensively in the Nickel for Cinci. I think out depth at DT is more than adequate, Wilfork, Fanene, Love, Deaderick, Pryor and maybe Brace can all play inside in a 4 man front. And Wilfork, Love and Brace can all play inside in the 3 man front.
That is a pretty good rotation, better in my mind than most of the league can put out there. I don't see where any rookie after the first round would have broken into that rotation except perhaps at the expense of Brace.

ATippett56

Calling Gerard Warren to the rescue!

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RayClay

Good post and well illustrated. Seems to me they are going to try to attack all over with the DE?OLB/ILB and depend less on the DL to pressure up the middle.

No x,o guy here, but it seems to me many defenses get by with jag linemen by putting constant pressure on with smaller pass rushers.

Maybe some affordable treadworn vets to add to the rotation again? Deaderick was a nice surprise last year, as was Love, while the other young names need to show something, be it health or motivation. All truly Jaggish, though Deaderick could emerge from that category if we are indeed switching to an attack first D.

I liked our pass rush combo of Deaderick inside and Carter and Anderson outside. Put the defense on it's heels without time to worry about how stout the guy next to Wilfork was. Replace those names with any of a handful, though i'd love Carter back and healthy if possible.

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unoriginal

The Pats have averaged close to 2 pure defensive lineman per snap for the last couple of years, what with the rise of the subpackage, so you really just need Wilfork and another fatty.