KillEM

The 34 simply doesnt work with an old Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas. Neither can generate any sort of pass rush this year at all. It's still a mystery where we will end up drafting but I will assume its in the 15-24 range. But we have two 2nd rounders and possibly two 3rd rounders. Moving up to take a high impact player could be in our best interests.


1. George Selvie - Best pass rusher in college. Potentially a Top 5 pick. Could slip due to lack of size. Would be a perfect 34 OLB... 6'4 245lbs... quick off the edge and a great motor. Linebacker speed.



2. Brian Orakpo - Top 8-15 pick... could fit the 34 OLB as well. Might be a bit of a project. Will definitely impress at the Combine and raise his draft stock a la Vernon Gholston.



3. Rey Maualuga - Top 8-18 pick... ILB with great size and blitzing ability. Would be a perfect fit next to Mayo. Downhill type guy that would fit the SILB role perfectly and allow our sideline to sideline LB Mayo make his plays. Shows good instincts and hands in coverage even though he's a bit raw in that area.




4. Brandon Spikes - 20-30 pick at this point. ILB that makes tackles and can drop back in coverage and get INTs. Seems like a "safe" pick. More of a sure thing than #2 and 3. Vocal/Emotional leader of the Gators D.



I'm looking at our LB corps right now and comparing it to the Superbowl years when we had one of the deepest LB corps in history. We are a couple years late in rebuilding the LB's. We should already have back ups that are ready to step in and take over for Bruschi and Vrabel. Yet we used a Top 10 pick on an ILB last year and still have two major holes to fill. I'm not alone when I say we MUST get another impact LB next year. Dansby and Suggs will be too expensive in free agency. One of the 4 LB's above will slip to the 15-20 range. We might have to trade up.

Our defense simply has too many holes to draft another TE in the 1st rd or take a WR and wait a few years for them to develop.

I know there are needs on Offensive Line as well but you can get a quality RG or RT in the 2nd round. Same with CB, as it's a really deep class for corners and we already have a future starter in Wheatley. The 34 simply does NOT work without quality linebackers and our Defense will look old and slow as long as we have Bruschi and Vrabel in there.

KillEM

Ideally George Selvie would slip to us. This is the type of player that could come in and have a Merriman-type impact for someones defense.

His size will scare off a lot of 43 teams. I originally had him going to Miami Dolphins BUT Joey Porter and Matt Roth are starting to look like a good combo of OLBs over there. SanFran might also want to upgrade at OLB, but they have other needs as well. If Selvie passes those two teams, he could slip to us, or at least slip enough that we'd trade up and nab him.



I'm not as sold on Orakpo. He hasn't produced nearly as well as Selvie has. Orakpo does however have better size for the NFL.

Jimke

While the defense needs pass rushers badly, I believe the Pats need a top

notch offensive lineman even more. If Brady plays behind the current

bunch, he is going to get injured once again. The Pats are no longer a

team that is loaded with talent. They need half a dozen new starters

at OG, OT, TE, SS, MLB, and CB. BB/Pioli have had some average/poor

drafts and the talent had eroded.

Ochmed Jones

We need two impact players on defense.

1.) A pass rushing demon off the edge. See last night's San Diego game for reference. We didn't touch Rivers all night. Thomas needs to be moved inside and Mayo needs to be moved to ST.

2.) A shut down corner that won't give up 50 yard bombs and forces opposing QB's to look to the other side of the field or underneath rather than challenge the shut down CB. Then let BB draw up some exotic schemes to deal with those areas. Our current secondary is weak and does not have 1 single playmaker in it.

Everything else on your list is wondow dressing. Although I am becoming more and more convinced Watson is not the answer at TE and BB needs to re-examine this position some in the off season.

BradyManny

You have it in for Mayo or something? He wasn't the problem last nite.

Ochmed Jones

We all know that BB loves his veterans. They have won him a ton of games in the past and he values them very highly. A lot of people are wishing that BB would have started his LB replenishment program years ago so we would have young veterans to move into the line up now, and while that is wishful thinking, the bottom line is we can't change the past.

At the end of the day, it is how this team does in Nov and Dec that will ultimately determine if BB's faith in his veterans was correct.

Jimke

Without any improvements in the offensive line, how do you plan to keep

Tom Brady in a vertiical position?

BRiZ

if Maualuga is on the board when its our pick you simply cannot pass on him. He is the perfect 3-4 inside strongside backer and with Bruschi retiring its almost a no brainer. Him and Mayo inside would be downright scary.

They really need to draft a stud corner though, its getting rediculous getting burned by the pass over and over again, Malcolm Jenkins is 6'0" with sub 4.5 speed he has great size and physicality we desperatly need at the position.

Vrabel needs to be upgraded with a stud pass rushing OLB, we could probably find a decent one with one of our two 2nds or two 3rds.

__________________
~Current Pats Mock~
Trades:
- Pats trade #7 to Carolina (Ryan) for #13(Rd 1) & #43(Rd 2)
- Pats trade #62(Rd 2) & #69(Rd 3) to Atlanta for #37(Rd 2)

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

BritPat

I know you didn't want us to draft Mayo, but he has been by far our best linebacker (which admittedly isn't a huge achievement right now) this year. He is not the problem. Anyone believing he is has either a major grudge, or doesn't watch nearly as much football as they should. Tedy has been my favourite Patriot forever, but his time is done. Did he even register a single tackle last night?

I do agree with the rest of your post though. We need a 'sudden' off the edge. A Ware, a Merriman, a young Adalius. Move the old one inside and get someone outside that is going to make the opposing OT wish he'd phoned in sick.

And we desperately need OT help in the draft. Whether they be LT, or RT. Something needs to be done.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Creator of the Pats must draft Jason Verrett in 2014 no matter the cost fanclub.

BritPat

I think both OLB positions need to be looked at, whether it be through a change in personnel or a change in schemes. Whatever we are doing is not working, whether that be because of the player or the scheme. It needs sorting. And soon.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Creator of the Pats must draft Jason Verrett in 2014 no matter the cost fanclub.