Pass rushing OLBs addressed - New England Patriots Forums

dryheat44 · 04-27-2009, 10:14 AM

Keep this in mind for next year:

"I think the outside linebacker group this year was a little bit different," Belichick said. "Generally speaking, I'd say there were more shorter players, maybe a little less speed than what we've seen, but maybe a little more power with good production. There weren't a lot of 4.6, 4.65 guys in the [40-yard dash], and not a lot of 6-[foot]-4[-inch], 6-5 guys. There was a much smaller pool of those players."

FWIW, Crable, Redd, and Woods are all over 6'5". Maybe at this position it's not all about college production? Stryker Sulak had the length, but he was slow. Mike Johnson had both, so I wonder where he was rated by Belichick. Barwin and Maybin are each ~6' 4", so I wonder what would have happened had Maybin been available at #23.

Should we start beating the drum for Greg Hardy in 2010 (6'5" 260 <4.7)?

***mayoclinic*** · 04-27-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryheat44

Keep this in mind for next year:

"I think the outside linebacker group this year was a little bit different," Belichick said. "Generally speaking, I'd say there were more shorter players, maybe a little less speed than what we've seen, but maybe a little more power with good production. There weren't a lot of 4.6, 4.65 guys in the [40-yard dash], and not a lot of 6-[foot]-4[-inch], 6-5 guys. There was a much smaller pool of those players."

FWIW, Crable, Redd, and Woods are all over 6'5". Maybe at this position it's not all about college production? Stryker Sulak had the length, but he was slow. Mike Johnson had both, so I wonder where he was rated by Belichick. Barwin and Maybin are each ~6' 4", so I wonder what would have happened had Maybin been available at #23.

Should we start beating the drum for Greg Hardy in 2010 (6'5" 260 <4.7)?

I had Maybin as my #2 upside 3-4 OLB after Barwin, partly because he had the length. I think BB liked both of them (though I think 11 was way too high for Maybin), but I just don't think he felt OLB was as much of a need as the secondary.

I like Greg Hardy, but the guy I really like for next year is Sergio Kindle - 6'4", 256# and possibly sub 4.5 speed, with experience playing LB at Texas. He was my co-binky with Barwin in January before he decided to go back to UT for his senior year.

***mgteich*** · 04-27-2009, 12:48 PM

The secondary and nose tackle needs were addressed in the first 3 of our 12 picks. Apparently OLB was less of a need to Belichick than lots of other positions also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayoclinic

I had Maybin as my #2 upside 3-4 OLB after Barwin, partly because he had the length. I think BB liked both of them (though I think 11 was way too high for Maybin), but I just don't think he felt OLB was as much of a need as the secondary.

I like Greg Hardy, but the guy I really like for next year is Sergio Kindle - 6'4", 256# and possibly sub 4.5 speed, with experience playing LB at Texas. He was my co-binky with Barwin in January before he decided to go back to UT for his senior year.

signbabybrady · 04-27-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryheat44

Keep this in mind for next year:

"I think the outside linebacker group this year was a little bit different," Belichick said. "Generally speaking, I'd say there were more shorter players, maybe a little less speed than what we've seen, but maybe a little more power with good production. There weren't a lot of 4.6, 4.65 guys in the [40-yard dash], and not a lot of 6-[foot]-4[-inch], 6-5 guys. There was a much smaller pool of those players."

FWIW, Crable, Redd, and Woods are all over 6'5". Maybe at this position it's not all about college production? Stryker Sulak had the length, but he was slow. Mike Johnson had both, so I wonder where he was rated by Belichick. Barwin and Maybin are each ~6' 4", so I wonder what would have happened had Maybin been available at #23.

Should we start beating the drum for Greg Hardy in 2010 (6'5" 260 <4.7)?

Me and the Friend that I watched the draft with both *****ed when Maybin came off the board.

I really think we have overated the need for LBs.

BB loves Mayo, Thomas is nasty, Bru and Tully are the Vet role players he loves, Guyton is another role player, Woods is an adequate starter, and there is a ton of young guys that all have potential Crable, Redd, Mckenzie and a few others.

aaron spacemuseum · 04-27-2009, 02:24 PM

I think BB would have pulled the trigger on Barwin if he had slid to the end of the 2nd but otherwise didn't want to invest so highly in a project -- as talented as he is, he would still require a TON of learning to be a part of this D. We have enough OLB projects on the roster that drafting another high to sit on the bench and learn for 1-2 years did not make sense. I was shocked that he passed on Sintim so many times but I guess there is more faith in Woods and co. than I thought.

***VJCPatriot*** · 04-27-2009, 02:52 PM

Basically the Pats like tall/fast outside linebackers, 6-5/6-6 running 4.6ish. There were not so many of that type available this year. Guys like Crable fit their prototype. The only guy in the draft that really fit that physical mold was Michael Johnson who was an underachiever in college and never showed consistent dominance despite his physical tools. Not exactly a fit for the Pats.

bakes781 · 04-27-2009, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by signbabybrady

Me and the Friend that I watched the draft with both *****ed when Maybin came off the board.

I really think we have overated the need for LBs.

BB loves Mayo, Thomas is nasty, Bru and Tully are the Vet role players he loves, Guyton is another role player, Woods is an adequate starter, and there is a ton of young guys that all have potential Crable, Redd, Mckenzie and a few others.

I reacted that way when Larry English went off the board. Granted he's not 6'4 but I can't imagine BB passing on a guy with that much production in college because of a couple inches.

***WhiZa*** · 04-27-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryheat44

Keep this in mind for next year:

"I think the outside linebacker group this year was a little bit different," Belichick said. "Generally speaking, I'd say there were more shorter players, maybe a little less speed than what we've seen, but maybe a little more power with good production. There weren't a lot of 4.6, 4.65 guys in the [40-yard dash], and not a lot of 6-[foot]-4[-inch], 6-5 guys. There was a much smaller pool of those players."

FWIW, Crable, Redd, and Woods are all over 6'5". Maybe at this position it's not all about college production? Stryker Sulak had the length, but he was slow. Mike Johnson had both, so I wonder where he was rated by Belichick. Barwin and Maybin are each ~6' 4", so I wonder what would have happened had Maybin been available at #23.

Should we start beating the drum for Greg Hardy in 2010 (6'5" 260 <4.7)?

Hell yea! I am going to save this thread and probably bump it around February next year.

dryheat44 · 04-27-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakes781

I reacted that way when Larry English went off the board. Granted he's not 6'4 but I can't imagine BB passing on a guy with that much production in college because of a couple inches.

Why not? The entire point of this thread is Belichick saying that exact thing, and then doing that exact thing.

bakes781 · 04-27-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryheat44

Why not? The entire point of this thread is Belichick saying that exact thing, and then doing that exact thing.

Larry English was taken ahead of the Pats. Granted had they REALLY liked him they'd have traded up, but we'll never know if they felt he was worth selecting at #23. Had it been the all everything Barwin who went ahead of the Pats, we'd have a page full of told ya so threads today. So I think I'm allowed my one little rant. English's stock was consistently at the top from the beginning. You can site all the mocks/rankings you want, but I never believed he was really going to be the one to fall out of the 1st.