Farley: Opportunity awaits at outside linebacker

[Box_O_Rocks]

Opportunity awaits at outside linebacker - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

here come the Woods haters in 3,,,2,,,,1,,,

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Hopefully, one of the group steps up.....

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

The more and more I think about BB inactions in replacing Vrabel, the more I'm thinking that the Pats are going to come out next year in a 4-3.

Think about it, more and more teams are switching to the 3-4 which means more teams have to prepare for it. Now BB suddenly comes out in a 4-3 that looks like this:

Seymour-Brace-Wilfork-Warren
Crable-Mayo-Thomas

I'll take that front 7 over anyone else's

With Green rotating in with the DEs and Wright rotating in with the DTs.

Maybe this is why BB drafted 3 college DT last year? The Pats made there run in 2001 using a 4-3, and they used it to get alot of pressure on the QBs. It would free Seymour and take pressure off the OLBs.

And oh BTW, Woods is awful

 

[Wretch]

The more and more I think about BB inactions in replacing Vrabel, the more I'm thinking that the Pats are going to come out next year in a 4-3.

Think about it, more and more teams are switching to the 3-4 which means more teams have to prepare for it. Now BB suddenly comes out in a 4-3 that looks like this:

Seymour-Brace-Wilfork-Warren
Crable-Mayo-Thomas

I'll take that front 7 over anyone else's

With Green rotating in with the DEs and Wright rotating in with the DTs.

Maybe this is why BB drafted 3 college DT last year? The Pats made there run in 2001 using a 4-3, and they used it to get alot of pressure on the QBs. It would free Seymour and take pressure off the OLBs.

And oh BTW, Woods is awful

Interesting theory but even with the "proliferation" of 3-4 teams, the majority of NFL teams still play a base 4-3. Teams will be prepared for the 4-3 or 3-4.

I think the more likely answer to the DL draftings was that BB want to develop more depth there in case of free agency or injuries.

We may see more disguised 4-3 alignment where Woods, Crable or Thomas line up as 3-4 OLB then drop into a 3 point and rush as a 4-3 DE. I think Willie Mac did this from time to time as the "elephant" OLB.

 

[BSR]

Not much info but:

"With Adalius Thomas, the starter on the other side in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme (who's never lived up to expectations since he left Baltimore as a free agent in 2007, but that's another story), ailing..."

Who's expectations has Thomas not lived up to? I think he has lived up to the coaches expectations. He's done everything they have asked of him and if they didn't have to keep sticking him inside he maybe would be living up to these other supposed expectations as well.

 

[stinkypete]

The more and more I think about BB inactions in replacing Vrabel, the more I'm thinking that the Pats are going to come out next year in a 4-3.

Think about it, more and more teams are switching to the 3-4 which means more teams have to prepare for it. Now BB suddenly comes out in a 4-3 that looks like this:

Seymour-Brace-Wilfork-Warren
Crable-Mayo-Thomas

I'll take that front 7 over anyone else's

With Green rotating in with the DEs and Wright rotating in with the DTs.

Maybe this is why BB drafted 3 college DT last year? The Pats made there run in 2001 using a 4-3, and they used it to get alot of pressure on the QBs. It would free Seymour and take pressure off the OLBs.

And oh BTW, Woods is awful

The problem is, Seymour and Warren are ill suited to play DE in a 4-3. In a 4-3 defense, they are straight up tackles. The ends in that system must be your edge rushers.

If the Pats were to switch to a 4-3, and I don't see it happening during Belichick's tenure, Thomas would have to play end to generate some pass rush. That would leave the team, again, short a starting caliber linebacker.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Had BB signed J Taylor or Peppers then consideration of playing more 4-3 might be rational. He didn't.

 

[RayClay]

Seymour-Brace-Wilfork-Warren

With Green rotating in with the DEs

 

[RayClay]

Actually, we have a 4-3 middle linebacker in Mayo. Crable and Thomas would be DEs in a 4-3, while our line would consist of four tackles.

6-1 big bottom defense.

 

[RayClay]

Opportunity awaits at outside linebacker - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

Fairly accurate IMO, though not what people want to hear.

 

[Reckedtrek]

That article makes me realize how lucky we are to have Mike Reiss- the atricle is loaded with lots of "cute" puns, rehashed info and nothing really new as far as insight or news go.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

here come the Woods haters in 3,,,2,,,,1,,,

nobody hates woods........

he's just not a good OLB

 

[RobertWeathers]

nobody hates woods........

he's just not a good OLB

I am 100% confident that BB will keep a watchful eye on both Woods and Crable and be quick to make an assesment on their ability to perform to what is required of them (set the edge, apply pressure, coverage, sacks). If not, BB will make a deal.

 

[BradyFTW!]

The more and more I think about BB inactions in replacing Vrabel, the more I'm thinking that the Pats are going to come out next year in a 4-3.

Think about it, more and more teams are switching to the 3-4 which means more teams have to prepare for it. Now BB suddenly comes out in a 4-3 that looks like this:

Seymour-Brace-Wilfork-Warren
Crable-Mayo-Thomas

I'll take that front 7 over anyone else's

With Green rotating in with the DEs and Wright rotating in with the DTs.

Maybe this is why BB drafted 3 college DT last year? The Pats made there run in 2001 using a 4-3, and they used it to get alot of pressure on the QBs. It would free Seymour and take pressure off the OLBs.

And oh BTW, Woods is awful

I will bet you a million dollars that the Pats don't run a base 4-3 this season. We've spent the better part of a decade drafting and developing prototypical players for this particular brand of 3-4, and we rarely get more than 5 sacks from our OLB anyways. If Woods can set the edge and cover TEs, he'll be more than adequate.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

BB hasnt really played a 4-3 base since the second half of the '01 season - we all know how well that worked out!

 

[State]

If Woods can set the edge and cover TEs, he'll be more than adequate.

Jesus, you've beaten me up suggesting otherwise, assuring that he can do what you are now putting in a conditional clause.

I guess now you feel the jury is still out regarding Woods. My thoughts exactly.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Jesus, you've beaten me up suggesting otherwise, assuring that he can do what you are now putting in a conditional clause.

I guess now you feel the jury is still out regarding Woods. My thoughts exactly.

If that had been the central point that you'd expressed while starting multiple pointless threads to bash him, I would have at least somewhat agreed with you. No, the point that you consistently made was that Woods sucks because he doesn't get sacks and needs to be replaced pronto, and if you want I can go and dig up plenty of quotes to bear that out:

Our LBer corps the last two or three years have been slow. Woods isn't the answer. He's. Not. The. Answer.

He's a STer who can sub. I can't be fair to him, though, since his execrable attempt to hold onto a fumble recovery on a miserable SB vs. the Giants. How he gave it up to a tiny RB who wasn't even drafted seems to me to indicate he doesn't have that toughness and grit I'm looking for.

Wrong. All I'm saying is don't waste your time with Woods when Crable's available. Woods sucks. That's not panicky. That's reality. Get over it.

Simply put, Woods, good guy and all, is not the answer at OLB. We're hurting at that position.

I could keep going, but I think I've made my point. Your position was never to wait and see, because he could very well be the answer. It was always to get rid of him right now because he simply sucks, and you left no grey area there.

Anyways, my view on him has been the same since the beginning of the offseason: he's shown himself to be above-average at setting the edge, and there's no reason why he shouldn't be fine covering tight ends. That's what we ask our SOLBs to do, and we have reason to be pretty confident that he can do it.