shatch62

The Pats starting 4 – if they are all back – are great. Colvin, Bruschi, Vrabel and McGinest form on of the better corps in the league. One could even argue that Colvin, Bruschi and Vrabel will all be better next year than this year. Colvin and Bruschi – who will never be what he was pre-stroke – will be year further away from their injuries. Vrabel will have a train camp as well as this years experience at ILB behind him. McGinest on the other had – while still good – has already had his best years and it would be nice to get a player that could spell him during some games to keep his legs fresh.

The problem with the LB corp is that the starters are all older players and the back-ups are nothing more then that. Don Davis, Larry Izzo and Matt Chatham have all been good special team players but that’s it. Davis and Izzo are older and Chatham, well if they didn’t play him when Beisel and Brown were getting killed inside they are never going to play him. Chad Brown is 36 (?) and his best days are well in the past. Beisel looks the part but has no field awareness and Banta-Cain… who knows. Claridge spent the year on IR so maybe he will be the young gun they lack.

I am not saying the Pats need to use the #1 pick on Bobby Carpenter but I do think they need to invest some #2s and #3s on a Lance Briggs or a Bradie James type. They can play special teams for a year and then take over in a year or so.

Mulehead

It's a great year for that position. Besides Bobby Carpenter, a guy I really like is Kai Parham from Virginia. He's played both inside and outside LB in a 3-4, is perfectly sized (6'3", 253#), he finished his degree in 3 years (so he's intelligent), very good hitter, and his college page says off the field he's a good guy.

I'm hoping he may last till our 3a pick.

Plus, there's a ton of good DE/OLB tweeners this year: Manny Lawson (NC St.), Darryl Tapp (VaTech), Kamerion Wimbley (FSU), Elvis Dumervil (Louisville), Parys Haralson (Tennessee), Frostee Rucker (USC), and many more.

sieglo

I think there is a tendency to underrate Bisel. I know, he was the guy we loved to hate last year. But he showed improvement at the end of the year (especially in the Panthers game) and I think BB has always looked at him as a multi-year project. I predict he will be back next year to provide some solid depth behind the starting four.

AzPatsFan

I concur that we should take LBs when great LBs are to be had. As for Beisel he looked a whole lot better when he was playing in the Miami game next to someone else who was calling the plays. And a year's worth of experience was taking hold. In any case, I think the Patriots have accomplished a lot with respect to their linebacking this year.

1) Tedy came back;
2) Vrabel showed himseld to be the heir apparent in calling the plays if Tedy is unavailable or ages.
3) Colvin proved he's back;
4) Willie showed he hasn't lost it, yet.
5) Chatham showed in the Miami game he can backup and play inside as well. He'll never be someone you want to start but now we know he can fill in for a while at ILB, just like he proved he could at OLB a few years ago.
6) We have survived the retirements of TJ and Phife.
7) Chad Brown showed he can provide a blow to Willie when used as a rotation OLB.

The 2006 Draft can provide the youngsters to groom as future starters at both OLB and at ILB, without needing them to necessarily start next year, sink or swim.

big mike

Personally, I'd like to see them use the 1 pick and one of the 3s on LBs. Guys like Chad Greenway in the first round look great. It's a GREAT year for LBs, there will be many very very good ones in the first round, and so good ones in later rounds. Why not take advantage of that and get a great one in the first?

AzPatsFan

Amen brother! An OLB/DE/Elephant candidate in the first and an ILB "TJ" type in the early third...

DaBruinz

People Talk about Beisel, yet they constantly over-look Ryan Claridge, who was put on the IR this year. Kinda like being Red-Shirted.

Claridge is describes as a TJ type player. Granted, he needs to show what he can do on the field, but he was good/very good at UNLV. He;s played both ILB and OLB. And is supposedly above average in coverage.
This is what was said about him last year on NFLDraftScout.Com



The 2 weaknesses he has listed here are ones that a LB Coach such as Pees and Pepper Johnson can help overcome

Ochmed Jones

Best 3 OLB/DE elephant types available in the draft that fit the Pats profile.

Lawson of NC State
Johnson of Louisville
Wyche of Syracuse

Lawson is kind of interesting. I lot of people think his game was inflated by having Williams with him. So wouldn't his game stay inflated if he was surrounded by the likes of Seymour, Colvin and Vrabel??????

I still like Wyche. He was a solid player on a miserable team. He'll be drafted second day at best, and he'll need a couple of years seasoning. If he runs well and he can play ST, then he could work for us.

broadwayjoe

I like this forum you certainly know your stuff and provide very good info.

Box_O_Rocks

I'm drawing a blank on Johnson and will have to look him up, but the other two showed promise. Lawson will need to become Woicik's favorite toy if he's going to make the transition, I watched two practice plays for the senior bowl where the TE owned him. I'll be looking to see how he does in the actual game, but he'll need to get stronger to handle blockers. Wyche looked quite capable in the Shrine Game, I love his hustle.

A late second day/UDFA prospect I'd consider is Federkeil of Calgary. He struggled in his pass rush against Levery, did okay against Whitworth, but what was interesting was the third scoring drive by the East, every running play went to the right - whether Levery's run blocking was suspect or Federkeil's run stopping was an issue I couldn't say, but they never ran at him on that drive. And I know he fought off Whitworth for a run stop in the 1st half. The kid hustled too. He might be worth a 5th round or later pick, especially if there is a comp pick to burn.

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