Elephant OLB/DE

[spacecrime]

I haven't heard much talk about how we can improve out team with the most excellent draft pick we will get from SF. I know the concensus is that we will trade down, but is it possible that we can get the one player that is almost impossible to find: the 3-4 Elephant OLB/DE?

Does anyone else think that Chris Long will fit this mold? I think he does, but don't know enough about him.

Any thoughts?

[jbb9s]

Originally Posted by spacecrime

I haven't heard much talk about how we can improve out team with the most excellent draft pick we will get from SF. I know the concensus is that we will trade down, but is it possible that we can get the one player that is almost impossible to find: the 3-4 Elephant OLB/DE?

Does anyone else think that Chris Long will fit this mold? I think he does, but don't know enough about him.

Any thoughts?

As a first year at the UVA in 1998, my roommates volunteered to coach a local C'ville middle school basketball team. Their star player - Chris Long. Just so I can tell this story a million times over the next 10 years, I think the Pats should draft him. And don't forget the Groh connection.

[DaBruinz]

Unfortunately, this seems to be a weak draft for DEs, though that can change depending on Juniors and such.

Long does seem to have the experience for the Elephant Position.

I would like to see the Pats get him, but not at #2.. Maybe #5 or so.. .depending on the depth of the draft, of course.

[BelichickFan]

Gholston from Ohio State, if he comes out, will likely be that player. He should go in the top ten and could be what you're looking for :

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...itionrptLB.htm

"Gholston can make the defensive coordinator of an odd front salivate. He still looks raw dropping into coverage, but he has shown he has the athleticism to grow more comfortable moving in reverse. He has the size — at 6-4, 260 pounds and a body that looks like it was chiseled out of granite — to hold his ground vs. the run and the explosion off the edge to beat blockers off the ball, as he showed he could do vs. Michigan OLT Jake Long. He can win with power or speed and beat the double-team and could be a quintessential rush linebacker in the pros. He’s a cross between DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman — either of whom, in retrospect, would have been worthy of the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft."

[jpnoonan]

Gholston appears to be one hell of a pass rusher. However, I have read that he is less than ideal i run support, an area which the Patriots chould place high priority on. Chris Long also figures to be an Elephant OLB/DE type who is a beast against the run. That said, it seems clear that Goulston has all the physical attributes to be able to be a factor in run defense, so who's to say that the Patriots coaching/scheme would not help him develop this talent. If the comparisons to DeMarcus Ware and Merriman are true, then the Pats would do well to take him if he's available. Hopefully we can get one of the two (Long or Gholston) at 4-5 as opposed to 2 as it will save us a considerable amount of cap space.

[patsfaninpa]

Originally Posted by spacecrime

I haven't heard much talk about how we can improve out team with the most excellent draft pick we will get from SF. I know the concensus is that we will trade down, but is it possible that we can get the one player that is almost impossible to find: the 3-4 Elephant OLB/DE?

Does anyone else think that Chris Long will fit this mold? I think he does, but don't know enough about him.

Any thoughts?

I think that is our greatest need on defense. Thank god for Vrabel. Other than him. We are having difficulty getting to the qb. You can't just find edge pass-rushers. They are at a premium. You can find a veteran ilb. They only play a down or two anyway. I think this is the area we target if we keep Asante. If we lose Asante, there is a gaping hole at cb. I haven't seen a lot of C.Long. We usually don't get ACC games. But, I watched him in the UVA/Va Tech game. He looked good there. I've seen more of Gholston. Not sure if Long has the speed to be an edge pass-rusher. I'm leaning towards Gholston if he comes out. I want to see their bowl games and 40 times though.

[DaBruinz]

Originally Posted by patsfaninpa

I think that is our greatest need on defense. Thank god for Vrabel. Other than him. We are having difficulty getting to the qb. You can't just find edge pass-rushers. They are at a premium. You can find a veteran ilb. They only play a down or two anyway. I think this is the area we target if we keep Asante. If we lose Asante, there is a gaping hole at cb. I haven't seen a lot of C.Long. We usually don't get ACC games. But, I watched him in the UVA/Va Tech game. He looked good there. I've seen more of Gholston. Not sure if Long has the speed to be an edge pass-rusher. I'm leaning towards Gholston if he comes out. I want to see their bowl games and 40 times though.

According to his profile on NFLDraftScout.com, Long has 4.7 speed. That's pretty damn good for a 275 DE/OLB.

Also, a lot of it depends on the guy on the other side.

All I know is that its going to be a very interesting off-season. Especially with the status of Bruschi, Seau, Harrison, Gay, and Samuel up in the air.

This could end up being a major rebuilding year for the defense.

Losing both Seau and Bruschi to retirement would cripple the ILB position for the Pats..

[dryheat44]

Originally Posted by DaBruinz

Losing both Seau and Bruschi to retirement would cripple the ILB position for the Pats..

Well, we'd still have Vrabel, Adalius, and Colvin for starters....guys like Woods pending.

We'd just have to find two competent guys to play inside through the draft or FA. Worst-case scenarios are a return to inside for Vrabel, or drafting Glenn Dorsey and playing 4-3 full time.

[DaBruinz]

Originally Posted by dryheat44

Well, we'd still have Vrabel, Adalius, and Colvin for starters....guys like Woods pending.

We'd just have to find two competent guys to play inside through the draft or FA. Worst-case scenarios are a return to inside for Vrabel, or drafting Glenn Dorsey and playing 4-3 full time.

I don't see the Pats moving in that direction. In fact, they've made it a point to NOT play the 4-3 on a regular basis.

Yes, Vrabel and Thomas could move inside, but that would still leave the Pats 2 LBs short.

[dryheat44]

Originally Posted by DaBruinz

I don't see the Pats moving in that direction. In fact, they've made it a point to NOT play the 4-3 on a regular basis.

I tend to agree. But the only other time they've lost two ILBs in an off-season (Johnson and Bruschi), they probably should have played 4-3 instead of plugging in people who sucked at ILB. I think BB would rather play an effective 4-3 than a sh!tty 3-4.

We're dealing with a pretty drastic scenario here. Fortunately, I doubt Bruschi retires. Hell, Seau's playing so well, he might want to hang around too.