Reiss once again good piece on our LB sitz...

[DarrylS]

Mike Reiss, as usual, hits a homerun, with his assessment of our LB situation and the changes it means for all involved... interesting how he integrates the situation of Clay Mathews and Carl Banks, players who BB coached in Cleveland and NY and who faced similar adjustments.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/11/30/ins_and_outs_of_patriots/

FOXBOROUGH -- The wheels are in motion within the Patriots' linebacker corps.
After losing Junior Seau for the season because of a broken right arm, the team practiced for the first time yesterday and had the following look in its 3-4 defense: Mike Vrabel taking Seau's spot on the inside next to Tedy Bruschi, and Tully Banta-Cain lining up with Rosevelt Colvin on the outside. It was the same foursome that played most of the final three quarters of Sunday's 17-13 victory over the Bears.

The change marks the second year in a row that Vrabel, who also started this season's opener on the inside, could be called upon to make a long-term switch. Last year's change came in the sixth game of the season, which he believes is a benefit this time around.

"I think [it helps] a lot to have some game experience, to learn playing in there with Tedy," Vrabel said yesterday. "Even the first couple plays Sunday night were a little rusty, but then we kind of settled in and settled down, and I think we were fine."

 

[IcyPatriot]

I think they will be fine ... it's how they played in camp and preseason.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Brilliant!

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I hope Tully makes us proud! He has been incubating for a while. He's seen some decent action this year, but being a starter for the rest of the season is going to be a new experience. I feel like he has a chance to be a good pass rusher.

I don't mind having Vrabel inside at all.

 

[PromisedLand]

I think they will be fine ... it's how they played in camp and preseason.

Isn't the way they played in camp and preseason the reason they went out and got Seau? Remember Pasquarelli writing that the move "smacked of desparation"? I can't honestly say I remember how effective the run D was pre-Junior but my vague recollection is that it wasn't that good...

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Isn't the way they played in camp and preseason the reason they went out and got Seau? Remember Pasquarelli writing that the move "smacked of desparation"? I can't honestly say I remember how effective the run D was pre-Junior but my vague recollection is that it wasn't that good...

The Seau move was a pattern which Belichick has repeated every offseason, and does not smack of desperation, but instead is their standard mode of operation each year. Bring in the big name players, that once where great and now can be had on the cheap, towards training camp.

They will do the same next year with some other guy. Like Washington, Traylor, Larry Centers, Roman Phifer, ect.

But we have to get some young blood at LB sometime, and the time is now.

Injuries happen. They will show up against the Lions with a defense, regardless of Seau. They will manage with Tully, or else go to another player like Woods, or even to a 4-3 with Jarvis.

 

[DefenseRules]

Isn't the way they played in camp and preseason the reason they went out and got Seau? Remember Pasquarelli writing that the move "smacked of desparation"? I can't honestly say I remember how effective the run D was pre-Junior but my vague recollection is that it wasn't that good...

I think depth was more of an issue than lack of confidence in the players that they have. They had hopes, heck we all had hopes that Beisel would be a part of our LB rotation. It became obvious during preseason that it wasn't going to work. Then Chad Brown hurt his hand and they had to shut him down too. Both of them ended up being cut. If Beisel had worked out, I'm not sure that BB/Pioli would have signed Seau the first place. Who knows maybe they would have. But I don't think so.

 

[PromisedLand]

I think depth was more of an issue than lack of confidence in the players that they have. They had hopes, heck we all had hopes that Beisel would be a part of our LB rotation. It became obvious during preseason that it wasn't going to work. Then Chad Brown hurt his hand and they had to shut him down too. Both of them ended up being cut. If Beisel had worked out, I'm not sure that BB/Pioli would have signed Seau the first place. Who knows maybe they would have. But I don't think so.

Yup, that's the way it was, DR. Thanks for refreshing my memory. But when it was clear that neither Beisel nor Brown was going to work out that they had to do SOMETHING. "Desparation" was Pasquarelli's word, not mine; but my point was that he wouldn't have used it if our run defense had looked like the 85 Bears in preseason.