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Found some articles on the recently signed OLB.
Versatility aids Ninkovich by Rich Garven of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Q&A with Patriots coach Bill Belichick from the Quincy Patriot Ledger
Early camp observations by Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe
Sounds to me like Ninkovich may simply be camp fodder, insurance against another injury, and will need to be a special teams standout if he is to make the team - and if the Pats do pick up Burgess he's gone.
Versatility aids Ninkovich by Rich Garven of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder thinks playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, which is where he’s projected as a Patriot, is the best fit for him
“It’s a good system for guys that are kind of that ‘tweener’ size,” Ninkovich said. “They have the athleticism to pass rush and get to the quarterback, but yet they can still hold off the tackle and make run-stopping plays. It’s tough (for me) to be an actual 4-3 down D-end lineman.”
The Patriots and the Cowboys were among the teams that worked out Ninkovich prior to the 2006 draft. He went 135th overall, one spot before the Patriots took tackle Ryan O’Callaghan out of California.
Q&A with Patriots coach Bill Belichick from the Quincy Patriot Ledger
Q: Can you explain what went into the decision to cut Vince Redd and what Rob Ninkovich brings to the table?
BB: Well, Rob is a guy we did quite a bit of work on coming out three years ago at Purdue and [Anthony] Spencer was also in that class. When Spencer got hurt, then Ninkovich played and he actually had a very good senior year. He sort of came into the draft pretty much all on his senior year of production. He’s an outside linebacker that has some value in the kicking game and some versatility out there in terms of playing the run, pass rushing and that type of thing. When he became available, we followed up on it and felt like he’d be competitive here in camp. Vince came in here as a free agent, made the practice squad and ended up playing at the end of the season. I just think where we are defensively, there are probably other teams where he would fit a little bit better schematically in with the skills that he has.
Early camp observations by Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe
I’d break down the OLBs this way: Thomas, Woods, Banta-Cain, Alexander, Ninkovich, Crable (PUP). The ILBs go this way: Mayo, Bruschi, Guyton, Lenon, Alexander.
I’d say that Pierre Woods has stepped away from the pack as Vrabel’s replacement at this point. Overall, I think the linebacker crop is a bit light right now and would be the top area to address from a roster perspective.
I think it starts with the Raiders and Derrick Burgess. While I don’t think Burgess would come in and start at outside linebacker, he’d be a nice complement to Pierre Woods and provide another option at the position. Soon-to-be ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted that the Raiders are looking for third- and fourth-round draft choices. I think the Patriots would pull the trigger tomorrow if it was just a fourth. Other than the Raiders and Burgess, I don’t see many clear-cut possibilities at this point, especially with more teams running a variation of the 3-4 and in search of more juice in the pass rush.
Sounds to me like Ninkovich may simply be camp fodder, insurance against another injury, and will need to be a special teams standout if he is to make the team - and if the Pats do pick up Burgess he's gone.
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