Going by the players on the roster, is our defense ready for the 2012 season??

[Ring 6]

You could care less if the defense can't get off the field and allow opponents to dominate time of possession?

Yeah, that is what I said isn't it?

I do not care about yardage statistics, I care about winning games. I am perfectly fine with getting a big lead, allowing a lot of garbage yards in prevent defense and winning.
Where the team ranks in yards isn't really relevant to me, unless it impacts winning.

 

[IllegalContact]

I said no because of the following concerns:

- need to get wilfork off the field more.....I think he simply spends too much time on the field. but I don't see that as a possibility with the current roster
- both the LB group as well as the secondary is going to look very different, so until they show some continuity, I would say they are not ready

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I voted no...I don't think the defense is going to be all that much better than last season but it really has no where to go but up,I suppose.

I don't see it being ranked 32nd,but I would think more in the lower teens depending on what our new additions can contribute to.

It's highly likely going to once again be the offense that is going to decide most games IMO

 

[JackBauer]

Assuming the FA signings and draftees pan out as intended...

...then yes, this defense figures to be significantly better than the one we saw last season. There is still an issue with the defensive line, and either they'll need another piece there or they'll need some of the younger guys (Love, Deaderick) to take a leap this year. I'm pretty bullish on Deaderick, not sure about Love.

 

[Joey007]

How do you propose to go back in time and make him healthy?

That wasn't what I meant. I meant if he gets healthy, he should be re-signed.

Hey, I've watched the Back to the Future movies, I'm sure I could figure something out.

 

[Deus Irae]

Here's the thing, IMO....

It's May, and the defense is loaded with new additions and "new" (i.e. Dowling) additions. We don't know how this is all going to work together. We have some players who should give us real confidence:

Wilfork
Mayo

some players who should give a fair level of confidence but not nearly as much as the above:

Chung
Ninkovitch (Versatility if not top level quality)
Spikes
Arrington (at least as depth, even if not as starter)

and a slew of players who have significant issues (new to team, coming off injury, lousy play last year, etc...) that only time and practice/games will enlighten us about.

Now, we can all pine for Carter, we can all think wi(Please be quiet - edited)lly about the idea of Dowling showing up healthy and capable of shutting down one side of the field, and we can all dream of Jones, Hightower, Wilson and company all being major rookie successes. That, and too many dollars, will get a cup of Starbucks coffee. In the end, though, we won't really be able to see much until the pads are on and, given the new offseason rules, even that's likely to only give us very limited insight.

On the positive side, the exhibition games might actually have a dollop of real meaning this year.



Edit: Wi s t f u lly gets the modification treatment? Is there no way to fix something like that?

 

[Kontradiction]

Here's the thing, IMO....

It's May, and the defense is loaded with new additions and "new" (i.e. Dowling) additions. We don't know how this is all going to work together. We have some players who should give us real confidence:

Wilfork
Mayo

some players who should give a fair level of confidence but not nearly as much as the above:

Chung
Ninkovitch (Versatility if not top level quality)
Spikes
Arrington (at least as depth, even if not as starter)

and a slew of players who have significant issues (new to team, coming off injury, lousy play last year, etc...) that only time and practice/games will enlighten us about.

Now, we can all pine for Carter, we can all think wi(Please be quiet - edited)lly about the idea of Dowling showing up healthy and capable of shutting down one side of the field, and we can all dream of Jones, Hightower, Wilson and company all being major rookie successes. That, and too many dollars, will get a cup of Starbucks coffee. In the end, though, we won't really be able to see much until the pads are on and, given the new offseason rules, even that's likely to only give us very limited insight.

On the positive side, the exhibition games might actually have a dollop of real meaning this year.



Edit: Wi s t f u lly gets the modification treatment? Is there no way to fix something like that?

No. Now STFU and live with it.

 

[Deus Irae]

No. Now (Please be quiet - edited) and live with it.

Well played...

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

While our defense has been infused with talent it takes time for talent to develop. I see our defense making progress next year but I imagine we will still be 20th-27th ranked. The most immediate impact will come from signing guys like Steve Gregory and Jonathan Fanene, not the rookies.

You make that sound like a bad thing.

Considering the two teams with the best regular season records were 31/31 and the Super Bowl winner was 27th or 28th..............

 

[BlueThunder]

Is there a list of non-bannable words that will get banned with the software here? A list would be nice.

That worrd wistfully is a CLASSIC !! :rocker:

 

[BlueThunder]

As far as Defense is concerned....the Pats D has the talent to be better this year than last. How much better will be determined later by health and how much the rookies can develop. The vet FA signings will either get it or not ala Ocho on Offense. That will be evident sooner rather than later....

BB has plenty of competition and talent on the practice field to put together a good D this season....

HOW good they will be is the big ????

Can't wait to find out !! :rocker:

 

[patsinthesnow]

Well, since it's late May, this is most likely what we'll have for the season, to see if the defense is ready, lets look at the talent:

DE: average (Deaderick, Fanene, Jones, Bequette)
DT/NT: average-no depth (Wilfork, Love, Warren, Brace)
OLB: bad (Ninkovich, Cunningham, Scott, Carter) one of Carter/Cunningham needs to step up
ILB: All-pro, a top 3 unit in the league IMO (Mayo, Spikes, Hightower, Fletcher)
CB: solid/strong depth, could be a top unit (Mccourty, Arrington, Dowling, Moore, Dennard)
S: Bad (Chung, Gregory, Wilson)

-The strengths of the defense are at ILB and CB.
-The DL isn't anything special but with one stud in Wilfork, and hopefully two solid starters in Deaderick/Fanene, with some depth, it should work.
-OLB looks ugly, but hopefully with Jones/Bequette/Hightower position flexibilitty they can play there.
-S looks bad again, but bad is still an upgrade over one of the worst units ever assembled.

 

[AzPatsFan]

The way I look at it the Defense in 2012 was destroyed with injuries real and self inflicted.

Here are the people missing from hors de combat:

Leigh Bodden (career ending)
Ras-I Dowling
Patrick Chung
Devon MeCourty (played but injured)
James Sanders (self-inflicted)
Brandon Meriwether (self inflicted)
Josh Barrett
Darius Butler (failure)


Jermaine Cunningham
Andre Carter

Mike Wright
Mo Pryor
Ty Warren (self inflicted)
Ron Brace

You can't take 14 players out of your Defense and not have it show. Most of the injuries real or self-inflicted were in the secondary including 3 starting CBs and 3 starting Safeties. You can't replace them with street FAs and not be worse. Even so by the end of the season and the Playoffs, the Defense was playing much better.

Even without the offseason additions, just the return of the injured will make a big difference.

Its true Bodden, Meriwether and Sanders won't be returning but the Fanene is a valid repalcement for Mike Wright, and Hitower should take Guyton's job, pretty easily. The secondary additions of Gregory, Wilson, Dennard and Allen will help. Assuming just a normal run of injuries this Defense will be a lot better.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If the season started today, I'd be pretty worried about depth and overall talent on the defensive line. But I'd actually feel reasonably okay about the linebackers and, to a lesser extent, the secondary. Secondary would once again be an injury or two away from dissolving into complete chaos, but with some luck in the health department, they could be decent.

 

[BradyFTW!]

The way i look a tit the Defense in 2012 was destroyed with injuries real and self inflicted.

Here are the people missing from hors de combat:

Leigh Bodden (career ending)
Ras-I Dowling
Patrick Chung
Devon MeCourty (played but injured)
James Sanders (self-inflicted)
Brandon Meriwether (self inflicted)
Josh Barrett
Darius Butler (failure)


Jermaine Cunningham
Andre Carter

Mike Wright
Mo Pryor
Ty Warren (self inflicted)
Ron Brace

You can't take 14 players out of your Defense and not have it show. Most of the injuries real or self-inflicted were in the secondary including 3 starting CBs and 3 starting Safeties.

Even without the offseason additions, just the return of the injured will make a big difference.

Its true Bodden, Meriwether and Sanders won't be returning but the Fanene is a valid repalcement for Mike Wright, and Hitower should take Guyton's job, pretty easily. The secondary additions of Gregory, Wilson, Dennard and Allen will help. Assuming just a normal run of injuries this Defense will be a lot better.

I agree that this point is underplayed in a pretty big way, and you're definitely right to bring it up. The one aspect that I'd disagree with, to some extent, is calling Ty Warren self-inflicted. He decided (or was forced, if it was an injury) to show up out of shape and unprepared to play football. Doesn't sound like the Pats had much choice in the matter, given that. Much like with Haynesworth, the Pats simply gave the guy an opportunity; from there, he charted his own path.

 

[Deus Irae]

The way I look at it the Defense in 2012 was destroyed with injuries real and self inflicted.

Here are the people missing from hors de combat:

Leigh Bodden (career ending)
Ras-I Dowling
Patrick Chung
Devon MeCourty (played but injured)
James Sanders (self-inflicted)
Brandon Meriwether (self inflicted)
Josh Barrett
Darius Butler (failure)


Jermaine Cunningham
Andre Carter

Mike Wright
Mo Pryor
Ty Warren (self inflicted)
Ron Brace

You can't take 14 players out of your Defense and not have it show. Most of the injuries real or self-inflicted were in the secondary including 3 starting CBs and 3 starting Safeties. You can't replace them with street FAs and not be worse. Even so by the end of the season and the Playoffs, the Defense was playing much better.

Even without the offseason additions, just the return of the injured will make a big difference.

Its true Bodden, Meriwether and Sanders won't be returning but the Fanene is a valid repalcement for Mike Wright, and Hitower should take Guyton's job, pretty easily. The secondary additions of Gregory, Wilson, Dennard and Allen will help. Assuming just a normal run of injuries this Defense will be a lot better.

Chung was there, and playing.
McCourty was there, and playing. He stunk before he got hurt, so that argument doesn't work.
Brace and Cunningham were there to be used.
Carter was there, and playing. He got hurt late, but the defense was the defense even when he was there.

On your entire list, only Dowling, Barrett and Pryor become "additions" this year, so the notion that the defense will automatically be a lot better just because of returning players doesn't make sense.

 

[IllegalContact]

maybe its me.......but I don't think chung is all that good.......

 

[captain stone]

Well, since it's late May, this is most likely what we'll have for the season, to see if the defense is ready, lets look at the talent:

DE: average (Deaderick, Fanene, Jones, Bequette)
DT/NT: average-no depth (Wilfork, Love, Warren, Brace)
OLB: bad (Ninkovich, Cunningham, Scott, Carter) one of Carter/Cunningham needs to step up
ILB: All-pro, a top 3 unit in the league IMO (Mayo, Spikes, Hightower, Fletcher)
CB: solid/strong depth, could be a top unit (Mccourty, Arrington, Dowling, Moore, Dennard)
S: Bad (Chung, Gregory, Wilson)

-The strengths of the defense are at ILB and CB.
-The DL isn't anything special but with one stud in Wilfork, and hopefully two solid starters in Deaderick/Fanene, with some depth, it should work.
-OLB looks ugly, but hopefully with Jones/Bequette/Hightower position flexibilitty they can play there.
-S looks bad again, but bad is still an upgrade over one of the worst units ever assembled.

I agree in general, and with Safety in particular. I wish that Bill had done a better job fixing
that position besides adding Steven Gregory & Tavon Wilson.

 

[Sciz]

I agree in general, and with Safety in particular. I wish that Bill had done a better job fixing
that position besides adding Steven Gregory & Tavon Wilson.

Like what?

 

[mayoclinic]

Like what?

I think that maybe the Captain means that we should have traded the 7th round pick we got from Green Bay to Baltimore for Ed Reed, and a 2013 7th to Pittsburgh for Troy Polamalu. And Green Bay would probably have thrown Charles Woodson in to sweet the trade up to 62. Those moves would have probably had more impact than just Steven Gregory and Tavon Wilson.