Wilhite

[mgteich]

Many were disappointed that Wilhite didn't play a like a probowler when he started last year. He is a player with limited talent, and should be a solid backup on the team. But I do not except him to be a quality starter.

WILHITE is our #4 cornerback. Compare him with other #4 corners in the league. I think that he will compare fine.

In fact, we have a talented top EIGHT in the defensive backfield. After all, who has a better #4 safety than McGowan?

 

[Kontradiction]

I wasn't expecting him to play like a Pro Bowler. Anybody that was should probably take an IQ test since they may just be mentally ******ed. I was expecting Wilhite to play a bit better than he did last year. This year I'm going into the season hoping that McCourty can take his place in the line-up by the end of the year.

 

[Ring 6]

I wasn't expecting him to play like a Pro Bowler. Anybody that was should probably take an IQ test since they may just be mentally ******ed. I was expecting Wilhite to play a bit better than he did last year. This year I'm going into the season hoping that McCourty can take his place in the line-up by the end of the year.

Taken in by the infamous mgteich strawman.
Question for you.
Do you think that McCourty won't be capable of playing much at all on defense at least til the end of the season because he is a rookie, and no rookie would or because he is McCourty, and you see a flaw in him specifically?

 

[patsfan-1982]

i did not except much at all out of him last year. IMO it was a bad movie to trade hobbs, who would have been a much better. #3 CB then Wilhite, could have stayed as the #4 CB and maybe not get burned as much as he did last year.



i think he will be ok this year.

 

[patsox23]

Who -- literally ANYONE -- thought Wilhite would play like a Pro Bowler last year? Who EVER thought or thinks Wilhite will make even a single Pro Bowl?

 

[Sciz]

He was not a good #2 last year, but I see no reason that he can't be a very good #4.

 

[mgteich]

Alright, so I exagerrated. There were those who thought that Wilhite was good enough to do a decent job as starting corner on a playoff team, and not be a weakness. Is that better?

The POINT of the OP is that Wilhite is now a #4 corner and might very well perform well in that role.

 

[Kontradiction]

Taken in by the infamous mgteich strawman.
Question for you.
Do you think that McCourty won't be capable of playing much at all on defense at least til the end of the season because he is a rookie, and no rookie would or because he is McCourty, and you see a flaw in him specifically?

I've actually explained my stance to you on this before. McCourty is a first round draft pick, sure. But he is a rookie. One who we haven't even seen put pads on yet. To expect him to leapfrog someone who is a veteran in the defense and has seen significant time on the field at this point is jumping the gun, to the say the least. Remember the expectations of Butler last year? He saw a good amount of time at the beginning of the season. For all of the athletic ability and smarts, he looked extremely lost at points during the season. Toward the end of the year, he looked more and more comfortable and was given more and more time in the line-up as a reward. I'm going into the season hoping for the same thing with McCourty. It's not that I'm not high on the pick, because I am. But I'm not going to be fooled into being overly optimistic.

 

[sbpatfan]

How do you know he's number 4? Did Belichick tell you that?

 

[TheComeback]

Alright, so I exagerrated. There were those who thought that Wilhite was good enough to do a decent job as starting corner on a playoff team, and not be a weakness. Is that better?

The POINT of the OP is that Wilhite is now a #4 corner and might very well perform well in that role.

I thought and think he is a better player than people give him credit for. He's very inconsistent, sometimes showing good coverage but poor awareness (like the Colts game) and at other times looking flat out awful, like the Texans game.

IMO Wilhite can be a serviceable #3 with some improvements. However, I fully expect McCourty to beat him out for that spot, making Wilhite a potentially very good #4.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Many were disappointed that Wilhite didn't play a like a probowler when he started last year. He is a player with limited talent, and should be a solid backup on the team. But I do not except him to be a quality starter.

WILHITE is our #4 cornerback. Compare him with other #4 corners in the league. I think that he will compare fine.

In fact, we have a talented top EIGHT in the defensive backfield. After all, who has a better #4 safety than McGowan?

I don't think the issue was that Wilhite wasn't playing like a Pro Bowler. The issue was that we had a #4 corner on our roster as the #2. Now that he's where he belongs, and too much isn't being asked of him anymore, I'm perfectly happy with the situation.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I've actually explained my stance to you on this before. McCourty is a first round draft pick, sure. But he is a rookie. One who we haven't even seen put pads on yet. To expect him to leapfrog someone who is a veteran in the defense and has seen significant time on the field at this point is jumping the gun, to the say the least. Remember the expectations of Butler last year? He saw a good amount of time at the beginning of the season. For all of the athletic ability and smarts, he looked extremely lost at points during the season. Toward the end of the year, he looked more and more comfortable and was given more and more time in the line-up as a reward. I'm going into the season hoping for the same thing with McCourty. It's not that I'm not high on the pick, because I am. But I'm not going to be fooled into being overly optimistic.

Butler and Wilhite are exactly why I'm optimistic that McCourty should contribute meaningfully this season. They both grew into significant roles in their rookie seasons, so I see no reason not to expect that McCourty can as well, since he's by all accounts a better prospect than either of them, and has the type of mentality that is most conducive to contributing early and often. I definitely agree that people penciling him in as a day-one starter are jumping the gun, but to be fair I haven't seen many people throwing that opinion around here.

 

[Patriot 37]

Many were disappointed that Wilhite didn't play a like a probowler when he started last year. He is a player with limited talent, and should be a solid backup on the team. But I do not except him to be a quality starter.

WILHITE is our #4 cornerback. Compare him with other #4 corners in the league. I think that he will compare fine.

In fact, we have a talented top EIGHT in the defensive backfield. After all, who has a better #4 safety than McGowan?

We haven't seen McCourty play so until he's beaten out he's is the # 3 CB. As far as him having limited talent, I disagree he isn't like Randall Gay, who was slow and kinda off stiff. Wilhite has decent speed and is pretty atheletic. I think with him it's more mental so I still think there is room to improve (he's only played 2 years).

I never really noticed, but I've seen it reported that he played much better inside covering the slot WR than on the outside.

I still think he can be a solid nickel.

 

[Ring 6]

I've actually explained my stance to you on this before. McCourty is a first round draft pick, sure. But he is a rookie. One who we haven't even seen put pads on yet. To expect him to leapfrog someone who is a veteran in the defense and has seen significant time on the field at this point is jumping the gun, to the say the least. Remember the expectations of Butler last year? He saw a good amount of time at the beginning of the season. For all of the athletic ability and smarts, he looked extremely lost at points during the season. Toward the end of the year, he looked more and more comfortable and was given more and more time in the line-up as a reward. I'm going into the season hoping for the same thing with McCourty. It's not that I'm not high on the pick, because I am. But I'm not going to be fooled into being overly optimistic.

Thats reasonable. So I conclude you wouldn't expect much from any rookie, and its a rookie issue not a McCourty issue, correct?
I guess where I differ is just that I think he is a much more talented player so he has a leg up if he can grasp the system, and in his case he came from a school with a system very similar to ours.

 

[Ring 6]

Alright, so I exagerrated. There were those who thought that Wilhite was good enough to do a decent job as starting corner on a playoff team, and not be a weakness. Is that better?

The POINT of the OP is that Wilhite is now a #4 corner and might very well perform well in that role.

I don't remember anyone being excited about Wilhite.

 

[Kontradiction]

Thats reasonable. So I conclude you wouldn't expect much from any rookie, and its a rookie issue not a McCourty issue, correct?
I guess where I differ is just that I think he is a much more talented player so he has a leg up if he can grasp the system, and in his case he came from a school with a system very similar to ours.

I mean they're rookies. In most cases, I guess you should say that I expect a little out of them and hope for a lot in their first seasons.

 

[Ring 6]

I mean they're rookies. In most cases, I guess you should say that I expect a little out of them and hope for a lot in their first seasons.

I used to feel the same way, but I have noticed more and more rookies across the league step right in.
Perhaps we are spoiled because this team has been so talented for so long, the bar was pretty high for a rookie to get on the field? The ones that did get there did pretty well. Seymour, Light, Maroney, Mankins, Koppen, Vollmer, Graham, Warren, Wilfork, Mayo, Hobbs (although it took him most of the season to get there while we sucked out loud at his spot).
I am hopeful that the track record has been based on guys with an opportunity succeed, and guys blocked behind good players are slow to develop, for that reason. If thats the case, or partly true, and we can get contribtions from McCourty, Spikes, Cunningham, not to mention more from 2nd year guys like Chung, Butler and Brace, it could have a huge impact on our D.
At the least we do have a track record of rookies playing big roles through the years.

 

[spacecrime]

Alright, so I exagerrated.

...and now you are understating.

 

[spacecrime]

I've actually explained my stance to you on this before. McCourty is a first round draft pick, sure. But he is a rookie. One who we haven't even seen put pads on yet. To expect him to leapfrog someone who is a veteran in the defense and has seen significant time on the field at this point is jumping the gun, to the say the least. Remember the expectations of Butler last year? He saw a good amount of time at the beginning of the season. For all of the athletic ability and smarts, he looked extremely lost at points during the season. Toward the end of the year, he looked more and more comfortable and was given more and more time in the line-up as a reward. I'm going into the season hoping for the same thing with McCourty. It's not that I'm not high on the pick, because I am. But I'm not going to be fooled into being overly optimistic.

Are you saying that Butler did not contribute until the end of the year?

 

[RayClay]

Many were disappointed that Wilhite didn't play a like a probowler when he started last year. He is a player with limited talent, and should be a solid backup on the team. But I do not except him to be a quality starter.

WILHITE is our #4 cornerback. Compare him with other #4 corners in the league. I think that he will compare fine.


In fact, we have a talented top EIGHT in the defensive backfield. After all, who has a better #4 safety than McGowan?

Agree. I'd like to keep both he and Wheatley, if Wheatley is ready to play. The Turk looks like he's foaming at the mouth this camp, so i expect to see players killing themselves, or a memory in short order.

Love our safeties.

EDIT: I took the pro bowler thing to be hyperbole meaning that people complained that Wilhite didn't look like a solid starter, which I agreed with MG he is not. Not a bad cheap backup though.