Who will have a better career at ILB - Mayo or Spikes?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I know it was just a meaningless preseason game and Mayo has been PROVEN he can play in this league but I really liked what I saw out of Spikes in the time he was out there,he seemed like he is going to be more involved in pressuring the QB while Mayo has been known to be more of a tackling machine away from the LOS,Spikes appears to be a smart player and he didn't look too slow out there from what I saw.

Who do you think will have a better career when all is said and done,Mayo or Spikes?

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Spikes is more physical and the better against the run. Mayo is better at chasing players. They both have different styles and skill sets so it's hard to say. However, Spikes will end up being the better value as I still think Mayo was taken too high (and no I don't care that other team wanted him in the 1st round in 2008).

 

[Calciumee]

I think both being different types of ILBs; both will help each other become better

 

[Big-T]

They'll have equally successful careers, but Spikes looks more likely to put up bigger sack & fumble numbers, which will catch peoples eye, whereas Mayo will go about regular 100 tackle seasons with a sack here & there for good measure.

 

[Patspsycho]

This is comparing apples to oranges. Both play different positions and approach the game very differently. One plays on pure instinct, the other plays very intellectually. Both will compliment each other very well.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I think Mayo could develop into more of a pass rushing ILB as time goes on...But I simply don't see it yet - He seems more of a Ted Johnson type player who for the next 10 years will be very good at stopping the run and disrupting WR/TE routes up the middle while averaging about 1.5 sacks a year.

I think Spikes will be a 7 or 8 per year sack guy and be more involved in getting to the QB than running down RBs

Both players could change one way or the other but its too early to tell.

Both players are different in many aspects but that is not the question...the question is who will be the BETTER OVERALL ILB when all is said and done.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Spikes is more physical and the better against the run. Mayo is better at chasing players. They both have different styles and skill sets so it's hard to say. However, Spikes will end up being the better value as I still think Mayo was taken too high (and no I don't care that other team wanted him in the 1st round in 2008).

Kind of a weird opinion on Mayo being taken too high. If I'm not mistaken I thought he was the defensive rookie of the year.

 

[Ring 6]

I think Mayo could develop into more of a pass rushing ILB as time goes on...But I simply don't see it yet - He seems more of a Ted Johnson type player who for the next 10 years will be very good at stopping the run and disrupting WR/TE routes up the middle while averaging about 1.5 sacks a year.

I think Spikes will be a 7 or 8 per year sack guy and be more involved in getting to the QB than running down RBs

Both players could change one way or the other but its too early to tell.

Both players are different in many aspects but that is not the question...the question is who will be the BETTER OVERALL ILB when all is said and done.

You are predicting that Spikes will be the best pass rushing ILB in NFL history before he has played a game.
Lets let him get a sack before predicting he will set records.

 

[LuthierJr]

I don't know but the fact we are discussing this is a good sign for the Pats defense!

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Kind of a weird opinion on Mayo being taken too high. If I'm not mistaken I thought he was the defensive rookie of the year.

Mayo had an outstanding rookie year,his next season had injury issues and may have influenced his play after he came back...did he come back too soon from that injury?,was his rookie year a flash in the pan or will be come back to his rookie performance and be even better? - there is a lot of questions as to what Mayo we will see in 2010 - Mayo must become a leader on defense for the rookies to listen and learn from and improve further as we would expect from a 3 year veteran.

I think fans want Mayo to be more of a factor in closing the pocket down that just taking after loose RBs or TEs into the second line of defense but he may be tailor made to just be that 100 tackles guy and not the complete type of LB that fans want...those complete types such as a Ray Lewis are very rare to find - Mayo is a very good player IMO that needs to pick it up a notch to satisfy fans that want everything in a LB,and we all know Pats fans will not except anything less.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Kind of a weird opinion on Mayo being taken too high. If I'm not mistaken I thought he was the defensive rookie of the year.

Winning ROTY doesn't guarantee you will have a good career. This is the year where he needs to step up.

 

[Ring 6]

Mayo had an outstanding rookie year,his next season had injury issues and may have influenced his play after he came back...did he come back too soon from that injury?,was his rookie year a flash in the pan or will be come back to his rookie performance and be even better? - there is a lot of questions as to what Mayo we will see in 2010 - Mayo must become a leader on defense for the rookies to listen and learn from and improve further as we would expect from a 3 year veteran.

I think fans want Mayo to be more of a factor in closing the pocket down that just taking after loose RBs or TEs into the second line of defense but he may be tailor made to just be that 100 tackles guy and not the complete type of LB that fans want...those complete types such as a Ray Lewis are very rare to find - Mayo is a very good player IMO that needs to pick it up a notch to satisfy fans that want everything in a LB,and we all know Pats fans will not except anything less.

Mayo is almost never asked to blitz. He also isnt asked to 'chase players around'.
His job is to defend the area from C to T on his side of the field against the run, and pursue to help out once he is certain the play wont come or cut back to that area. And to cover his zone in pass coverage, and once in a while play man or blitz.
Fans who want everything in a LB should change that to wanting everything the defense asks of him.
Mayos position and Ray Lewis' position are as different as Wilfork and Freeney.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

You are predicting that Spikes will be the best pass rushing ILB in NFL history before he has played a game.
Lets let him get a sack before predicting he will set records.

Alright...he may not average 7 sacks a year his WHOLE career - maybe more like 3-5 overall, but we need him to provide some pressure up the middle because we certainly are weak on the outside for this season anyway...his development in that department will be necessary in the front 7's success on slowing down QBs comfort levels in the pocket which were pretty high last year.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Winning ROTY doesn't guarantee you will have a good career. This is the year where he needs to step up.

Totally agree. IIRC, the DROY buzz started somewhat early, after a game against the Jets when he got a ridiculous amount of tackles. It was a stunning display and I think we were all pretty psyched, but haven't always felt like he's matched that intensity. He definitely gets a bit of a mulligan for the injury season last year, and I have no doubt he'll at the least be a good ILB for a long time. I'd just like to see a little more of what we saw that day in November 2008. I mean, besides the number of tackles, he was popping people.

Patriots' Jerod Mayo leads Defensive ROY race - Bucky Brooks - SI.com

 

[BradyFTW!]

Kind of a weird opinion on Mayo being taken too high. If I'm not mistaken I thought he was the defensive rookie of the year.

So was Kendrell Bell. I don't regret the selection, and think Mayo will be a kickass player, but DROY doesn't make a career

 

[Ron Sellers]

Mckenzie doesn't even merit a mention in this conversation?

 

[TheComeback]

Kind of a weird opinion on Mayo being taken too high. If I'm not mistaken I thought he was the defensive rookie of the year.

And it's even stranger, given the fact that Vernon Gholston, Glenn Dorsey, Darren McFadden, Sedrick Ellis, and Derrick Harvey were all taken at higher spots. The next linebacker available was Curtis Lofton, who IMO is not in Mayo's league.

On top of all that, the Patriots did try to trade out of the #10 spot, but were unable to do so for lack of interest. Which makes it all the more amazing that someone would criticize them for taking arguably the best player available at the time (unless you would rather have headcase Ryan Clady or Leodis McKelvin).

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

So was Kendrell Bell. I don't regret the selection, and think Mayo will be a kickass player, but DROY doesn't make a career

Exactly. However, injuries derailed his career.

Another thing I wanted to point out is that Keith Rivers was actually doing better than Mayo "statistically" until Rivers took a cheap shot from Hines Ward that ended his season.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

The next linebacker available was Curtis Lofton, who IMO is not in Mayo's league.

In terms of what? Lofton is the better value by far.

On top of all that, the Patriots did try to trade out of the #10 spot, but were unable to do so for lack of interest. Which makes it all the more amazing that someone would criticize them for taking arguably the best player available at the time (unless you would rather have headcase Ryan Clady or Leodis McKelvin).

I heard that other teams wanted Mayo and that is why the Pats took him right there.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

why is everyone throwing mayo under a bus? he was defensive ROY. he got hurt week 1 last year and was a shell of himself. he's healthy now, so let's see if he can produce. At the same time, Spikes has not even played an NFL game yet. This is a thread better left for the end of the season.