patchick

As Andy noted, the LB grouping is especially unpredictable given the sudden influx of talent at the position. I can't begin to predict at this point how players like Scott and Bequette will shake out for this season. But I feel pretty confident that whatever group they choose should be a force.

At DB, I surely hope Dowling cracks the top 5. Injuries have obviously been a problem, but this is a guy who has the field awareness of a safety, the speed and coverage skills of a corner, and stands a good 2 inches taller than anybody in your proposed 5-man backfield. When it comes to the Heisenberg defense, that's a guy you want.

hovis

Yea, Hightower should be interesting. Hopefully he comes as advertised and can shift to the outside to put his hand in the dirt or as an OLB, while Ninko shifts inside and drops back into coverage. I'll go out on a limb and guess that the versatility and skill of those two will get them the "starting" jobs.

AndyJohnson

I see Hightower more along the lines of the pre2007 Vrabel. OLB in the 34 or 43, who could also play ILB. Equally able to rush or cover from the sub packages.
More of an all around OLB than a designated pass rusher.

hovis

I can't claim to know anything more than scouting reports tell me. The ones I've read projected him as a 3-4 ILB / 4-3 OLB with the ability to handle 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE. At 6'4" 270 (allegedly), he certainly has "tweener" size, so I wouldn't be surprised if he does end up being more of an outside guy. If that is the case, then I'd like to see what Ninko can do with some more ILB reps.

mayoclinic

Tough call, but I certainly wanted Bryant in 2008 when he came out, and more so this year as a FA. We don't know how far the Pats went towards getting Bryant, but the $35M deal he got from Seattle would have been tough to top, and he reportedly liked staying where he was, so it may have been fruitless. But a Wilfork-Bryant pairing with Kyle Love and Myron Pryor backing them up would have been pretty darn impressive.

Jesse Williams of Alabama looks to be that kind of player. He played DE for the Tide in 2011 and is moving to NT this year, and is probably athletic enough to play 4-3 LDE as well. He's probably a 2nd round prospect right now, with the talent to move up, but with all the DT talent in the 2013 draft he could be a bargain.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

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AndyJohnson

Ninko doesnt at all strike me as an ILB. He can be an off the line LB in sub packages if that is what you are saying.

mayoclinic

McCourty, Dowling and Chung should all be part of the base if healthy. Gregory and Arrington will almost certainly have the inside track to start at the other safety and the star positions. Wilson should get time in "big nickel" packages (though I agree with Andy that 3 CBs will be the base 5 DB set) from the outset and the opportunity to play himself into more of a base role. Dennard could also be a wild card. If past seasons are any guide, DB depth will be tested, so there should be enough opportunity for guys to get playing time.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

betterthanthealternative

By the time this and next year's new defensive talent becomes good, i.e. 2014, Wilfork will be on the way out. If we want two dominant DT's playing together with the 2012 and 2013 drafted defensive players, we need to draft them in 2013 and 2014.

If Wilfork continues as a dominant player and the MVP of the defense beyond 2013, we will be very very lucky.

patfanken

Great thread. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed the commentary thus far. I pretty much think that most of what can be said HAS been said. If I can summarize the key points that I've got from the conversation

1. Over the long history of the Football the dependence on the DL has shrunk from 9 man fronts to 3 man front as the passing game has become the predominant way to move the ball. It was a great historical insight from OTG.

2. Beyond the "Polian rules changes", the biggest developments that have accelerated the offensive game has been spread formations and the no-huddle offense. The spread has made nickel DB's starters, and the no huddle has severely limited the defense's ability to substitute, and increased a great QB's ability to create favorable matchups at the LOS.

3. All this has lead to the necessity to develop "amorphous defenses" to combat what the challenges that offenses bring to the table. Create looks that make identifying the "Mike" difficult. By doing that it could cause confusion in the OL, since who the "mike" is, dictates the protection. And the most obvious advantage is to disguise coverages and blitz packages.

4. Finally to be able to utilize this kind of defense the Pats over the last 2 years have added many Hybrid style players who can play in various positions. Players like Scott, Ninko, Jones, Bequette, Carter, and Cunningham, who can all play standing up and with their hands in the dirt. And bigger DB's who have coverage skills AND are strong in run support like Wilson Gregory, Allen, McCourty, and Dowling. DB's who are comfortable on the outside AND in the middle of the field like McCourty and Allen. And finally DLmen who are capable of playing DE AND DT like Fanene, Vince, and Jones. Then add a prototypical hybrid player like Hightower and the roster is fully set up to run a 2-4-5 as a base defense.

OK that's what's BEEN said, and I heartily concur. Here's what I can add, because as a former coach one of the most difficult problems that arises when you change defensive concepts is what you need to say to to get your players into the proper position to execute your idea. In other words, its a problem of SEMANTICS. How do you get your players to LOOK amorphous and disorganized, then at the snap of the ball arriving at a proscribed spot, with a specific assignment to carry out. What few words can communicate all that that message

That's a real problem because you can't have one look for your "amorphous" package. So the problem for the coaching staff is not only designing the schemes, its creating the most efficient language to communicate the instructions to your players

I have always been fascinated by the language of football. There has been very little discussion on it, except in a few football books dedicated to the matter. As far the media or general fandom, nothing is ever discussed about the importance of semantics in the success of a system. Its the key to getting everyone "on the same page"

ProudestRyno

Did you have to quote his entire post here?