Ron Brace

[PushnPencils]

In some pre-draft analysis, writers were saying that Brace had upside but wondered if playing next to BJ Raji, whom they state was getting Double teamed all the time, benefited his production.

The Youtube vid below is a BJ Raji showcase. Watch it and tell me what impression you come away with. Brace is #60.

YouTube - DT BJ Raji Highlights Boston College 2008

 

[Nordberg]

In some pre-draft analysis, writers were saying that Brace had upside but wondered if playing next to BJ Raji, whom they state was getting Double teamed all the time, benefited his production.

The Youtube vid below is a BJ Raji showcase. Watch it and tell me what impression you come away with. Brace is #60.

YouTube - DT BJ Raji Highlights Boston College 2008

After watching the video a couple times.

1) Ron Brace is a little quicker than Raji off the snap.
2) Raji looks to be a more powerful once moving
3) Raji also looks like he is a little more instinctive and atheletic

None of it is a knock on Brace.....He holds his ground, which is the most important ingredient in our D-Line

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Why is Brace practicing at DE on the Pats? It seems to me he should be the #2 NT behind Wilfork.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Why is Brace practicing at DE on the Pats? It seems to me he should be the #2 NT behind Wilfork.

S.O.P for Pepper and the coaching staff. They want players to not only know their main position, but others within their unit. This give them position flexibility and helps develop cohesion within the unit.

I have no idea if Brace will play DE during the reg season (doubt it), but IMO its a good sign that they are asking him to take reps there. That tells me he grasps concepts well and is a pretty quick learner.

my .02$

 

[The_Riddler]

Why is Brace practicing at DE on the Pats? It seems to me he should be the #2 NT behind Wilfork.

Versatility and preparation Ochmed, you know the Patriot way.........

 

[patchick]

S.O.P for Pepper and the coaching staff. They want players to not only know their main position, but others within their unit. This give them position flexibility and helps develop cohesion within the unit.

I have no idea if Brace will play DE during the reg season (doubt it), but IMO its a good sign that they are asking him to take reps there.

Sure, cross-training is standard in Foxboro. But the interesting and surprising thing is that Brace has been working exclusively at DE.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sure, cross-training is standard in Foxboro. But the interesting and surprising thing is that Brace has been working exclusively at DE.

Agreed. With warren, Sey and others out that might also have been in the coaching staff's thought process in putting Brace there...

 

[psychoPat]

Sure, cross-training is standard in Foxboro. But the interesting and surprising thing is that Brace has been working exclusively at DE.

Mebbe they think they'll get the Wilfork contract done
... but not the Seymour.

 

[signbabybrady]

Why is Brace practicing at DE on the Pats? It seems to me he should be the #2 NT behind Wilfork.

One of the things that stood out to me when I got my first look at Brace a week ago was that he seems to look more like Seymour than Wilfork. I imagine he will be learning both the Nose and End but I wonder if he might be more of an End when its all said and done.

 

[RobertWeathers]

One of the things that stood out to me when I got my first look at Brace a week ago was that he seems to look more like Seymour than Wilfork. I imagine he will be learning both the Nose and End but I wonder if he might be more of an End when its all said and done.

Wilfork 6'1" 325
Sey 6'6" 315
Brace 6'3" 330

Thats interesting. At any rate Brace is a mammoth of a human being.

 

[Ring 6]

Sure, cross-training is standard in Foxboro. But the interesting and surprising thing is that Brace has been working exclusively at DE.

Does exclusively mean much when it hasnt been a week yet? Also, the techniques are identical, so the base of learning is the same at DE or NT.

 

[PushnPencils]

After watching the video a couple times.

1) Ron Brace is a little quicker than Raji off the snap.
2) Raji looks to be a more powerful once moving
3) Raji also looks like he is a little more instinctive and atheletic

None of it is a knock on Brace.....He holds his ground, which is the most important ingredient in our D-Line

An agreement on all of those points. But let me include that if you watch that video again as well as one on there dedicated to Brace....

IN THOSE VIDEOS........Brace gets double teamed much more than Raji. More importantly it seems the opposition gameplanned to specifically stop Brace.

 

[mayoclinic]

The Raji highlight film shows that Ron Brace frequently displays better quickness and athleticism than Raji, which is in sharp contrast to his extremely slow times and reputation as a pure "space eater".

Almost 8 months ago I suggested that BJ Raji could have incredible value to the Pats not just as a NT (backup to Wilfork and insurance policy against injury or inability to come to a contract agreement) but in terms of athleticism and versatility to play multiple fronts, including 2 large DTs (similar to what Baltimore used in 2000 with Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa) and using Raji situationally at DE (similar to how Baltimore uses 345# Haloti Ngata):

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/13/209694-bj-raji-hypothetical.html

Raji was out of reach for the Pats, but instead we drafted Ron Brace in the second round, which was something of a shock to me. When I looked at what film I could find of Brace, I was shocked to see the same thing - that he often appeared quicker than Raji and showed much greater atheticism on the field than I had anticipated. Almost 3 months ago I questioned whether the Pats might possibly use Brace at DE and in different fronts in the kind of ways which I had imagined using Raji:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/237349-ron-brace-hypothetical.html

It seems like the Pats see a lot more in Brace than just a backup NT to Wilfork - not that that is not tremendous value in itself. But if Brace can also bring an additional element to DE or to running 4-3 sets with two DTs, then he will end up being one of the best picks out of the 2009 draft.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I didn't glean much from the clip, honestly. I just know that I've been hearing nothing but good things thus far about Mr. Brace. I hope he can stay healthy through TC and the preseason and get on the field regularly in the regular season.

 

[MVPatsfan13]

I didnt watch the whole vid, but it looked like both brace and raji were doubled simultaneously sometimes and the DEs were left one-on-one with the OTs, interesting game planning by the opposing coaches
I agree that raji looked more powerful and instinctive once moving. Im just excited to see this guy play, where ever he lines up

 

[signbabybrady]

Wilfork 6'1" 325
Sey 6'6" 315
Brace 6'3" 330

Thats interesting. At any rate Brace is a mammoth of a human being.

he was definitely a little a shorter....I was mainly refering to the fact that Brace seems pretty evenly distributed compared to Wilfork who has a nice belly. All three are big boys for sure.

 

[RobertWeathers]

he was definitely a little a shorter....I was mainly refering to the fact that Brace seems pretty evenly distributed compared to Wilfork who has a nice belly. All three are big boys for sure.

Yep. I'm with ya and agree.

 

[TB146]

Obviously this is a video focused on Raji... I'm not sure Brace is in on every play, but that might just be my inexperienced eye. It seems like he's usually the guy lined up to Raji's left, though sometimes he might be lined up elsewhere or maybe he's not on the field. Again, maybe I just missed him.

Anyway, look at the play that starts around 2:04... Here it looks like Brace (or the guy to Raji's left, if it's not him) is getting double teamed and not Raji. Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know how often that happened, but it speaks well for Brace if their opponents ever felt the need to double him instead of Raji

 

[signbabybrady]

Sure, cross-training is standard in Foxboro. But the interesting and surprising thing is that Brace has been working exclusively at DE.

thats not true I have seen him work as a DT when we go to a 4 man front....though I question if that is more scout team work.

And I am pretty sure I have seen him on the nose though that may have only been the practice that Seymour was there for.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Good points.

NFLN was interesting in calling Brace slow and a space eater. Apparently, they never noticed that all their hightlight film had brace chasing the ball down outside the box.