Opinions Consolidated: How bad does the Bodden loss hurt us?

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Good:

• Barring the signing of some journeyman veteran CB, we will really get to see how these young turks we have been drafting the past 3-4 years are going to handle the workload.
• The future was probably gonna be Darius Butler and McCourty anyway, so now we just to get to see it sooner.
• I love to watch young kids coming into their own during the course of a season, especially in a Belichick defense.

Bad:

• Bodden is our only real veteran CB.
• He played well for us last year, although I kind of thought he parlayed a decent season into a contract that paid him more than he is worth.
• To his credit, he played well enough on the right team at the right time, a team that had very few veteran options at CB.
• He will be missed for that reason (vet presence), if nothing else. With the young guns on deck, we may pay some heavy tolls early in the season until they become acclimated.

 

[Garbanza]

Good:

• Barring the signing of some journeyman veteran CB, we will really get to see how these young turks we have been drafting the past 3-4 years are going to handle the workload.
• The future was probably gonna be Darius Butler and McCourty anyway, so now we just to get to see it sooner.
• I love to watch young kids coming into their own during the course of a season, especially in a Belichick defense.

Bad:

• Bodden is our only real veteran CB.
• He played well for us last year, although I kind of thought he parlayed a decent season into a contract that paid him more than he is worth.
• To his credit, he played well enough on the right team at the right time, a team that had very few veteran options at CB.
• He will be missed for that reason (vet presence), if nothing else. With the young guns on deck, we may pay some heavy tolls early in the season until they become acclimated.

Good:

There isn't any. Sure, the young guns will get playing time and experience. Yippee. Can't wait to see Wilhite and Wheatley make their yearly trip to the injury report. The pass rush will help ....wait...nope, we don't have one of those.

Bad:

See above.

BTW - your report on Bodden wasn't exactly glowing. Bodden is a physical corner who plays in the system well. He was their best d-back. Now we have Butler (who looks like doo-doo this pre-season - take that for what it's worth) who is a pi machine - McCourty the rookie, wilhite and wheatley - the Giant Glass Bros, and Arrington who can hit - and not sure what else. We have safties that can hit too - and most them can't cover, except for Merriweather - he can - would like more consistency.

 

[Sicilian]

The kids would have seen a significant amount of playing time anyway, and quite possibly in areas of strength rather than necessity. There's no way to sugar coat this, it's a big loss, much like Ty Warren.

I feel like Butler and McCourty have the potential to be fine as our starting outside corners, but they're going to make mistakes, and our depth just took a huge blow. Where this will hurt is against a team like Indy who spreads the ball around to a lot of WRs. In those cases, Wheatley and Wilhite will play prominent roles, and if any of our four guys go down now we're plugging a ST'er in their place.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

Now, more than ever, the need for a pass-rush just took on a substantially greater need than before the Bodden injury....

I believe this offense can average 30 points a game....but there are a lot of decent teams on our schedule that have good passing games that are going to have thier way with us....and score a lot of points...

Hope the remaining secondary guys are ready to see a lot of passes coming thier way...

 

[Rob0729]

There is no way to spin this to be a good thing. Bodden was a solid #2 CB last year. Placing him on IR will hurt this defense.

That said, I don't know if this is going to be an insurmountable loss. I think it will be easier to overcome than the loss of Ty Warren. Yes, the McCourty and Butler really struggled last week (although McCourty made some great plays to go along with his horrendous ones), but they were solid the previous two weeks before. They may have some growing pains and make some mistakes, but they could also develop into a strong CB tandem within a month or two (see Miami last year with two rooke CBs). Wheatley seems to be returning closer to what he was in his rookie year before his injury (where he was starting to take over a starting position) rather than the timid CB of the last two years.

Personally, I think McCourty has the potential to be a top CB in this league. He was a shutdown CB in college and he has already shown glipses of being able to do the same in the Pros (most notably how he took on an excellent receiver in Roddy White in the second preseason game). But potential in the NFL is not a lock to turn into production. The league is littered with players with a lot of talent and next to zero production. I am hopeful that McCourty is a guy who realizes his talent at this level and becomes a solid #1 CB.

The defense is not as good as it could be with Bodden on it. But I still think the Pats can overcome this injury if McCourty and Butler develop and quickly.

 

[sieglo]

Let's see, we've got no pass rush and our corners haveabout two years of combined NFL experience.

And on top of that, people are wondering if we can stop the run.

I hope this offense is planning on scoring a lot.

 

[Off The Grid]

They're gonna burn, plain and simple.

They're gonna burn.

But you know what they say...about Fire and Steel.

2010 will be a Wild Ride.

And at the end of the day, I believe it will have this in common with 2000: Prelude to a Dynasty.

 

[Sicilian]

I think where this also has a trickle down effect is on our safety play. With Bodden, there were more situations where he didn't need safety help (not a ton, but more). I'm guess there won't be as many situations now where the safeties can play up, blitz, roam, etc, because you're going to need them to help over the top for the young guys.

Things that will help mitigate Bodden's loss (not saying they're likely, just possibilities):

- Continued development of Brace to stop the run (better 3rd down situations) and provide pressure by collapsing the pocket.

- Combination of Burgess/Cunningham/Murrell/Ninkovich improving and providing some pressure opposite TBC.

- Continued development of Meriweather/Chung.

- McGowan/Sanders, if one of these guys can play well at a "true" safety spot, it would free Meriweather to fill in at more man cover duties in some situations.

- Offense grinding out long drives to keep the defense fresh.

 

[Sicilian]

And on top of that, people are wondering if we can stop the run.

And I do not understand this at all. We haven't seen any sign in preseason of the run defense being a problem.

 

[Rob0729]

And I do not understand this at all. We haven't seen any sign in preseason of the run defense being a problem.

We did in the last game, but not the two previous games.

 

[JackBauer]

We did in the last game, but not the two previous games.

You mean when they allowed the Rams an otherworldly 3.3 YPC on the ground?

 

[Rob0729]

You mean when they allowed the Rams an otherworldly 3.3 YPC on the ground?

The Pats struggled with Jackson (a lot of teams do) and a lot with the first stringers. It wasn't a disaster, but they had problems. The overall average does not indicate how the game actually went.

 

[Sicilian]

The Pats struggled with Jackson (a lot of teams do) and a lot with the first stringers. It wasn't a disaster, but they had problems. The overall average does not indicate how the game actually went.

Jackson had 4.4 ypc (not great for us), on FIVE carries. His long was 9 yards, which is a bad run to give up but it's not like it was a devastating one. So a tough 9 yard run, then 4 carries for 13 yards. I'm not impressed.

 

[letekro]

Time to tee up one of those James Sanders/Lawrence Maroney/Nick Kaczur for Nnamdi trades.

 

[JackBauer]

The Pats struggled with Jackson (a lot of teams do) and a lot with the first stringers. It wasn't a disaster, but they had problems. The overall average does not indicate how the game actually went.

5 carries by one of the best RBs in the game is too small of a sample size to judge whether or not they would have trouble over the course of a game. Especially when the long was given up on a rookie error by McCourty.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

This loss is absolutely devastating.

I love the Patriots and I want them to win the Super Bowl, but right now I don't see this team reaching 0.500.

 

[Pats726]

I agree..it stinks big time...I was HOPING that Bodden would start with Butler..which did not even happen in the 3rd PS game...If there is good news..it has been that they have played 3 games together albeit PS..but better than none..BUT that may be the consolation prize lowered down. Little experience there..as the 2 Ws..are backups.. Wheatley is smart and I have seen a few good plays from him in the PS..but??? Injuries and inexperience make in tenuous at best. A vet is needed just for some stability and I really think THAT will happen..whether its a trade or a vet who is cut and looking.
They are stronger at safety..BUT..McGowan is injured...NOT good. What this all means is another LARGE question mark for the year..never a GREAT way to start and seeing TO and Ocho Cinco for starters is NOT the way to. Patience may be needed....BUT CLEARLY not a time of panic..football is strange and writing it off now way way TOO early.

 

[Tunescribe]

Our average defense just became below average. I see a lot of high-scoring games and a record of 9-7. The losses of Bodden and Ty Warren might prove to have been the difference in making the playoffs, it's sad to say.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

Our average defense just became below average. I see a lot of high-scoring games and a record of 9-7. The losses of Bodden and Ty Warren might prove to have been the difference in making the playoffs, it's sad to say.

No pass rush, no secondary. You'd have to be on something pretty powerful to see this team making the playoffs, sad to say.

 

[JackBauer]

You might want to, oh, I don't know. Wait for the season to start before declaring we have no pass rush -- no?