Rookie, 2nd, & 3rd Year Player Expectations

[BradyFTW!]

I think Chandler Jones will be a real factor in year 1. Reports of his rawness are overstated. Maybe he's raw mentally, I don't know, but the physical skillset that he brings to the table right now is rare in the college game.

All the other college pass rushers are trying to just run past the tackle. He can use his hands and have his way with OL. He's a freak.

I will be shocked if Belichick can't find a way to use Jones in a manner that makes him a productive first year player. Maybe he won't be Mayo level impact, but I can see him being like Spikes, someone who certainly makes his mark in his rookie year, get some real reps, also making some mistakes as well. And then, down the road, the upside is probably much higher than Mayo to be honest. Hightower, I can see being an immediate staple like Mayo.

Agreed. Players and coaches have described in the past how the Patriots bring guys like this along: they give him a couple of core responsibilities and the time to become effective at them, so that these types of players can contribute right away in some capacity. The versatility that we'll eventually see from him will come later, but I do expect that he will contribute this year in a more limited, one-dimensional capacity. He's too athletic and skilled not to.

Besides, this time last year everyone was saying that Solder was too raw to contribute as a rookie, and the year before that nobody could figure out why they took a ST-specialist in McCourty. Pats' first round picks pretty much always contribute immediately, regardless of whether or not the pundits think they'll be able to. In general, it takes truly freakish athleticism for a developmental project to go in the first round. If you're picking a guy that high, you're usually pretty confident that he can contribute to your team this year.

As long as we're talking about rookies at positions of need, Jones is not high on my list of worries. Tavon Wilson is the one who I have my fingers crossed for.

 

[Simple Jack's Brother]

Agreed. Players and coaches have described in the past how the Patriots bring guys like this along: they give him a couple of core responsibilities and the time to become effective at them, so that these types of players can contribute right away in some capacity. The versatility that we'll eventually see from him will come later, but I do expect that he will contribute this year. He's too athletic and skilled not to.

Completely agree with that statement. I think it's not unrealistic for us to expect 6-8 sacks out of him as a rookie because he will probably start as a situational pass rusher and gradually be given more responsibilities. I have a feeling Trevor Scott will be a nice surprise tho.

Hightower i'm really intrigued to see what they do with him. All i have to say is i DARE other teams to run on us when Spikes and Hightower are both in the game.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think Chandler Jones will be a real factor in year 1. Reports of his rawness are overstated. Maybe he's raw mentally, I don't know, but the physical skillset that he brings to the table right now is rare in the college game. All the other college pass rushers are trying to just run past the tackle. He can use his hands and have his way with OL. He's a freak. I will be shocked if Belichick can't find a way to use Jones in a manner that makes him a productive first year player.

Agreed. Players and coaches have described in the past how the Patriots bring guys like this along: they give him a couple of core responsibilities and the time to become effective at them, so that these types of players can contribute right away in some capacity. The versatility that we'll eventually see from him will come later, but I do expect that he will contribute this year in a more limited, one-dimensional capacity. He's too athletic and skilled not to. Besides, this time last year everyone was saying that Solder was too raw to contribute as a rookie, and the year before that nobody could figure out why they took a ST-specialist in McCourty.

Two very good posts. I completely agree. The Pats won't put themselves in a position where they have to rely on Jones' development if they can help it, but they will find ways to use him right away and will give him as much responsibility as he shows himself able to handle. As BradyFTW! notes, Solder and McCourty both exceeded expectations about their ability to step in and start, and I suspect Jones will do the same.

I also agree that all this stuff about Jones being "raw" is over-stated. There were two very good pre-draft profiles on Chandler Jones which highlighted his hand technique and mature pass rush repertoire. Mike Tanier noted this in his Shutdown 50 evaluation of Jones:

Most collegiate pass rushers live and die by their quickness to the edge. It's rare to see a defensive end who excels at hand fighting and placement: the fine art of delivering an initial blow to a pass protector, ripping his arms so he cannot latch on, and getting the hands under the blocker's shoulder pads to steer him out of the way. [Jones] excels at these skills. He disengages from blocks easily and can bull rush or work inside of his defender. These skills allow him to be an effective pass rusher when lined up over an offensive tackle. Jones can create pressure while staying within his pass-rushing lane, an essential skill when playing on a team that blitzes frequently. Jones diagnoses screen passes and draw plays well, and he has experience dropping into coverage. Jones hustles on the backside of plays and has enough speed to get down the line and make tackles in pursuit.

The Shutdown 50

Drew Boylhart of the Huddle Report noted:

Chandler is a freakishly strong and athletic Defensive End for a 4-3 defense. He has quickness combined with a natural strength that allows him to be what I call a power pass rusher. Because of his strength and long arms, he is terrific when standing up at the point of attack to shed a block and make tackles; in fact, he's as good as any defensive tackle in the NFL. Chandler is very smart and understands situational football. He will make plays all over the field -- running downs or passing downs. He will bait his opponent into making mistakes and understands what an offensive coordinator is trying to do to him. Chandler uses very mature pass rushing techniques and because his hand usage is so quick and his explosion off the line is so strong, there is no way at the college level he can be handled one-on-one. If you double team him, he will split the double team and still get pressure on the QB. He shows quick feet and enough change of direction skills to rush the passer from inside or out, but Chandler knows that taking the most direct line to the QB is the best for him. Even when he takes an outside rush he still uses a combination of a bull rush along with finesse moves to get to the QB. When he turns the corner, he uses his strength as he dips his shoulder to gain a more direct line to the QB and then will make his 2nd move. Chandler is ready for prime time.

2010 NFL DRAFT

As BradyManny notes, Jones has advanced hand usage skills combined with length and strength, and the ability to get his arms up and disrupt passing lanes. He's not a one trick pony speed rusher. I don't know what kind of sack numbers he'll put up as a rookie, but I suspect he'll end up getting on the field a good bit more than Jermaine Cunningham did in 2010 and will have a significant impact when he does play, regardless of his stats.

 

[BradyManny]

As BradyManny notes, Jones has advanced hand usage skills combined with length and strength, and the ability to get his arms up and disrupt passing lanes. He's not a one trick pony speed rusher. I don't know what kind of sack numbers he'll put up as a rookie, but I suspect he'll end up getting on the field a good bit more than Jermaine Cunningham did in 2010 and will have a significant impact when he does play, regardless of his stats.

Agreed. I think Ninja had tape up of four or five of Jones' games, and it's hard to watch those and not be excited.

And hopefully next February it'll be an opposing Quarterback playing us saying "it's like throwing through trees..."

 

[borg]

-Does Mccourty have a bounce back season?........No.....Did he undergo some life altering change this offseason? Teams picked on him for a reason....and BB bounced from CB for a reason

-Does Ras-I give us a physical outside presence in the secondary?.....Being made of glass and having difficulty running in June is not a positive sign for the future

-How many footballs is Gronk going to break this year?....11.....Combo of Lloyd and a greater emphasis on the running game will limit production of the entire group....but Brady will have his best career completion %

-Will Hernandez top the 1000 yard receiving mark?....No....see Gronk answer

-Does Solder make the seamless transition to fulltime LT and keep Brady clean?......Solder will dominate

-Why is the Marcus Cannon only practicing at tackle when he was clearly marked as a guard practice coming out of school, and our interior has so many Q's?....I thought Cannon lacked footwork and quickness last, so this T positioning is puzzling....makes me worry more about SeaBass

-Does the transition back to a 3-4 (don't forget that's the direction they went in the playoffs) helpe Jermaine Cunningham improve upon a decent rookie season, or did he show his true colors last year?.......He may not survive final cuts


-Does Vereen or Ridley win the "primary" ball carrier role?.....Ridley will be the guy. As long as Woodhead is on the roster, Vareen will be limited


-Does Sterling Moore cement himself as a true playmaker in the secondary?....not seeing it


-How long will it take Chandler Jones, Hightower, and Bequette to make an impact on the field?.........Hightower will be a play making stud by game 5....book it

-Will Alfonzo Dennard make his presence felt in the secondary at all? He seems to be around the ball all the time.....they will go to him early when McCourty flops and Dowling shatters

 

[BlueThunder]

-Does Mccourty have a bounce back season?........No.....Did he undergo some life altering change this offseason? Teams picked on him for a reason....and BB bounced from CB for a reason

-Does Ras-I give us a physical outside presence in the secondary?.....Being made of glass and having difficulty running in June is not a positive sign for the future

-How many footballs is Gronk going to break this year?....11.....Combo of Lloyd and a greater emphasis on the running game will limit production of the entire group....but Brady will have his best career completion %

-Will Hernandez top the 1000 yard receiving mark?....No....see Gronk answer

-Does Solder make the seamless transition to fulltime LT and keep Brady clean?......Solder will dominate

-Why is the Marcus Cannon only practicing at tackle when he was clearly marked as a guard practice coming out of school, and our interior has so many Q's?....I thought Cannon lacked footwork and quickness last, so this T positioning is puzzling....makes me worry more about SeaBass

-Does the transition back to a 3-4 (don't forget that's the direction they went in the playoffs) helpe Jermaine Cunningham improve upon a decent rookie season, or did he show his true colors last year?.......He may not survive final cuts


-Does Vereen or Ridley win the "primary" ball carrier role?.....Ridley will be the guy. As long as Woodhead is on the roster, Vareen will be limited


-Does Sterling Moore cement himself as a true playmaker in the secondary?....not seeing it


-How long will it take Chandler Jones, Hightower, and Bequette to make an impact on the field?.........Hightower will be a play making stud by game 5....book it

-Will Alfonzo Dennard make his presence felt in the secondary at all? He seems to be around the ball all the time.....they will go to him early when McCourty flops and Dowling shatters

Kind of a glass half empty evaluation IMHO.....why so glum?

 

[Joey007]

Kind of a glass half empty evaluation IMHO.....why so glum?

Simple. He doesn't want to get his hopes up on Patriots defensive backs. Which is understandable, because it seems like ever since Samuel left, we can't seem to get it right in the secondary. I mean, we've seen Terrance Wheatley, and Darius Butler both high picks completely fizzle. You just gotta worry about McCourty becoming Butler and Dowling becoming Wheatley. It's not that I think that will happen, it does though just seem like no matter what we do to our secondary, somehow everything goes wrong.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

If we get big contributions from Ras-I and any contributions at all from Jermaine Cunningham,

it will seem like I found twenty dollar bills in my old coat pocket.

Wonderful, unexpected, magical developments.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Hightower is a VIOLENT and sudden player. Just watch the clips. This kid will make an impact on the defense, whether we play him on the inside or outside, and yes, he can rush the passer!
Clip: Ultimate Dont'a Hightower Highlights (2012 Draft 25th Pick - New England Patriots) - YouTube

Chandler Jones has freakish athleticism and length. BB will assign him a role and tell him to just destroy the QB. He will make some impact plays for us on 3rd down. If the OL doesn't account for him properly, watch out!
Clip: Ultimate Chandler Jones Highlights (2012 Draft 21st Pick - New England Patriots) - YouTube

That's not even getting into the additions of Trevor Scott, Fanene, and Beckett. Ninkovich also is playing with his hand more in the dirt according to OTA reports. I am smelling the makings of a more aggressive qb-attacking defense in 2012!

I am excited about this defense! Yes there are some uncertainties here, but a lot of potential for the kids to step up. Gregory might be just what we needed to bandage the secondary, remember that BB hit big time on Harrison. This could be a similar scenario. And Tavon Wilson is also waiting in the wings, if he's a Eugene Wilson clone, that more than justifies a 2nd round pick as long as he is effective short term. And Dennard is making plays in OTAs so far. Let's see if that carries over to minicamp and then official training camp.

Offensive line - TALL and TALENTED. Solder is huge and athletic, what he might lack in experience he'll make up for in physicality. Could turn out to be a way better overall tackle than Light who was a technician but had his limitations.
Clip:Universaldraft.com Presents - Nate Solder - OT - Colorado - YouTube

Gallery, Cannon, McDonald are all competing for starting roles, giving us additional depth on the OL. Let the best man-beasts win! The skill players could take this offense to the next level as well. Scored 511 points in 2011, I can easily see that total surpassed as Gronk and Hernadez get even more entrenched and comfortable in this offense and the receivers group adding LLoyd, Gaffney, and Stallworth. Stretch the field, we shall!

 

[BlueThunder]

VJC- Thats more like it ! :rocker:

 

[Simple Jack's Brother]

If we get big contributions from Ras-I and any contributions at all from Jermaine Cunningham,

it will seem like I found twenty dollar bills in my old coat pocket.

Wonderful, unexpected, magical developments.

Still have high hopes for Ras-i, i think he can seriously lock down one side of the field if he gets healthy and stays healthy...and Cunningham getting praise for his offseason from BB? WEEIRRDD

Can't wait to see how training camp shakes out!

 

[Spergon Wynn]

Even before today's comments I thought that that Belichick likes Cunningham as a player. He showed a lot of potential in 2010 but I think that was stunted due to various conditions. I wouldn't write him off just yet.