Rodney Harrison comments on Patrick Chung

[Kontradiction]

Patrick Chung can't seem to make play - BostonHerald.com

“The main thing is, it’s hard for a lot of players to play in that contract year because they’re trying so hard to be perfect. That contract really puts a lot of pressure on them,” Harrison said Monday. “But to be honest, it’s three going on four years now. He should have developed into one of the top-tier safeties in the league. If you think about the top safeties right now, you don’t think of Patrick Chung. Unfortunately, he has that type of ability, too.”

Harrison, an NBC analyst, believed the Pats chose wisely when they selected Chung out of Oregon. The hope was Chung would eventually lead the secondary in a similar manner as Harrison did when he was the quarterback of the Pats defensive backs.

Only Chung, who stands at 5-foot-11, 212 pounds, keeps running into the injury wall and can’t stay on the field. He played in just eight games last year. We’ll see what happens with his latest injury.

“I’ll tell you this. What happens is this: They’ll give you three or four years. If you’re lucky, they’ll give you four years. That’s if you’re lucky,” said Harrison. “After 2-3 years, if you’re not getting better, and it’s getting to a point where they feel like you can’t really be the great player they want you to be, they’ll go in a different direction.

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the team going in a different direction after this season. Chung is good against the run but this league, thanks for Polian, has developed into a more pass-happy league. Chung simply is not good in coverage and is a consistent liability back there even when healthy. They should let him walk next year and let some other team overpay.

 

[coolguy]

Rodney should come out of retirement and play safety :rocker:

He would still be number one on the depth chart :snob:

 

[chasa]

Gotta agree here.

Chung cant seem to stay on the field, so its going to be hard to justify a contract that would keep him here.

 

[mayoclinic]

Patrick Chung can’t seem to make play - BostonHerald.com

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the team going in a different direction after this season. Chung is good against the run but this league, thanks for Polian, has developed into a more pass-happy league. Chung simply is not good in coverage and is a consistent liability back there even when healthy. They should let him walk next year and let some other team overpay.

I already commented on this in another thread. I agree with you. I wouldn't say that Chung has regressed Brandon Meriweather-style, but he is too limited against the pass in a pass-happy league. Also, the presence of Brandon Spikes already gives us one back 7 defender who is a bit of a liability in coverage, which puts more pressure on the other players to be better in coverage. Spikes has more to offer than Chung in terms of his ability to make game-changing plays.

I'd personally like to see a safety rotation of McCourty/Wilson with Gregory as a rotational guy and Ebner as a developmental guy. I don't think it makes sense for the Pats to invest in Chung as a long term cornerstone of their secondary. He's a nice kid and I have nothing against him, but he's just too much of a liability in coverage and is banged up too much. And is Rodney states, he hasn't shown the ability to take his game to the next level in 4 years, so it's time to move on. We could use the money it would take to re-sign Chung (and possibly also Kyle Arrington) to invest in a veteran FA CB to team with Dowling and Dennard. There are no guarantees, but Houston and Dallas have shown that those investments can make a big difference to a defense, and we did OK with Leigh Bodden before he got injured. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Brent Grimes and Aqib Talib are all FAs. All have issues (inconsistency, injury or character issues), but all have talent and all could potentially upgrade our secondary more than re-signing Chung and Arrington.

 

[Jackson 2]

Patrick Chung can’t seem to make play - BostonHerald.com



Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the team going in a different direction after this season. Chung is good against the run but this league, thanks for Polian, the NFL has developed into a more pass-happy league. Chung simply is not good in coverage and is a consistent liability back there even when healthy. They should let him walk next year and let some other team overpay.

Agree. I was so on board with Chung at one time. But, I see a guy who has regressed, making bad decisions, taking bad angles he rarely did before and generally looking out of place and indecisive. Really surprised it's turned this way with him.

 

[Kontradiction]

I already commented on this in another thread. I agree with you. I wouldn't say that Chung has regressed Brandon Meriweather-style, but he is too limited against the pass in a pass-happy league. Also, the presence of Brandon Spikes already gives us one back 7 defender who is a bit of a liability in coverage, which puts more pressure on the other players to be better in coverage. Spikes has more to offer than Chung in terms of his ability to make game-changing plays.

I'd personally like to see a safety rotation of McCourty/Wilson with Gregory as a rotational guy and Ebner as a developmental guy. I don't think it makes sense for the Pats to invest in Chung as a long term cornerstone of their secondary. He's a nice kid and I have nothing against him, but he's just too much of a liability in coverage and is banged up too much. And is Rodney states, he hasn't shown the ability to take his game to the next level in 4 years, so it's time to move on. We could use the money it would take to re-sign Chung (and possibly also Kyle Arrington) to invest in a veteran FA CB to team with Dowling and Dennard. There are no guarantees, but Houston and Dallas have shown that those investments can make a big difference to a defense, and we did OK with Leigh Bodden before he got injured. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Brent Grimes and Aqib Talib are all FAs. All have issues (inconsistency, injury or character issues), but all have talent and all could potentially upgrade our secondary more than re-signing Chung and Arrington.

McCourty/Wilson tandem at safety seems to be the popular idea of the week. I would try it. What do you possibly have to lose at this point? I think McCourty would be better there because his head is turned toward the play on a constant basis. Throw Dowling and Dennard in there at RCB and LCB and shift Arrington into the slot, where he'd be more comfortable.

As for Chung, it's a shame that he's not panned out really. A lot of us had high hopes for him. But, after the stellar beginning of the 2010 season, you could really see him start to drop off. Sure, injuries have probably curtailed his growth in the system, but he was never really that good in coverage to begin with. Quarterbacks, more and more, have started to realize it and have targeted his side of the field. He seems to constantly be just a split second or more too late to play. This year it looks as if he's not playing with the confidence that he started out 2010 with, possibly because of the reason mentioned two sentences ago.

Personally, even though he's up there, I wouldn't mind the team taking a look at Ed Reed in FA and a safety early on in the draft at all. Reed because he's still very talented and can teach the young'n's a thing or two before he decides to hang them up, and a safety in the draft because of Reed's age. Rodgers-Cromartie wouldn't look bad in a Pats uniform, either.

 

[dales804]

It really is a shame about Chung. He just hasn't made that leap to an upper echelon safety (going in the other direction, actually) and is injured every year.

As other's have said before, putting McCourty alongside Wilson at safety could be a place to start but I think we all agree about the need to draft one early on in April next year.

 

[shmessy]

McCourty/Wilson tandem at safety seems to be the popular idea of the week. I would try it.

It was tried three days ago.

And Mark Sanchez had the game of his life.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the team going in a different direction after this season. Chung is good against the run but this league, thanks for Polian, has developed into a more pass-happy league. Chung simply is not good in coverage and is a consistent liability back there even when healthy. They should let him walk next year and let some other team overpay.

If they threw a 2nd round tender on him I wonder if some team would bite.

 

[aluminum seats]

What do you possibly have to lose at this point?

Theoretically, I suppose things could get worse, but I think I'm at the point where I'd like to see a shake-up too. What the hell--maybe after some growing pains things get better.

I'm no draftnik, but if there is a top-tier safety prospect coming out this year, I'd work hard to get 'em.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

To me it sounds like Rodney feels about the same on Chung that most of us feel here. Fortunately for Chung he plays on a team with a good enough offense that allows us to experiment on D and take it's time to iron out their issues. Season is still young and alot can change by season's end but at the time it seems like we are going to head in a new direction.

 

[Kontradiction]

It was tried three days ago.

And Mark Sanchez had the game of his life.

It was Arrington and Dennard out there at RCB and LCB. What I'm advocating is Dowling and Dennard. I think you should also take a look at the lack of a pass rush outside of Jones and how much zone we were playing until the 4th quarter as well before throwing Sanchez's good game on the McCourty/Wilson safety rotation.

 

[Kontradiction]

If they threw a 2nd round tender on him I wonder if some team would bite.

I highly doubt it, but it would be nice.

 

[Kontradiction]

Theoretically, I suppose things could get worse, but I think I'm at the point where I'd like to see a shake-up too. What the hell--maybe after some growing pains things get better.

I'm no draftnik, but if there is a top-tier safety prospect coming out this year, I'd work hard to get 'em.

This is an excellent draft for the safety position.

 

[DarrylS]

I am skeptical about getting rid of Chung, this defense is so young.. getting rid of any experience is risky and bringing in a rookie to add to the confusion may not be a good idea.

Perhaps they can make him a reasonable offer, and if someone else wants him more then sayonara...

OTOH he seems to have remained static in the past couple of years..

 

[Kontradiction]

I am skeptical about getting rid of Chung, this defense is so young.. getting rid of any experience is risky and bringing in a rookie to add to the confusion may not be a good idea.

Perhaps they can make him a reasonable offer, and if someone else wants him more then sayonara...

OTOH he seems to have remained static in the past couple of years..

There are some nice options available in FA as stop gaps at the very least...

 

[mayoclinic]

It was tried three days ago.

And Mark Sanchez had the game of his life.

It was Arrington and Dennard out there at RCB and LCB. What I'm advocating is Dowling and Dennard. I think you should also take a look at the lack of a pass rush outside of Jones and how much zone we were playing until the 4th quarter as well before throwing Sanchez's good game on the McCourty/Wilson safety rotation.

Yup. And Gregory or Arrington in the slot. Even better for the future, Dowling and a veteran FA CB outside with Dennard in the slot. Plus it was the first game for McCourty/Wilson at safety, so I give them a little time to develop some chemistry and work things out. At least there were no long pass plays over 20 yards, unlike the Seattle game.

 

[The Gr8est]

People should keep in mind too that as good of a CB prospect Dowling was, many scouts thought he was an even better FS prospect.

 

[mayoclinic]

Here's an "off the wall" trade proposal: BB and the Pats trade Pat Chung before the week 8 deadline to Tampa Bay and pal Greg Schiano for suspended CB Aqib Talib. Both Chung and Talib are in contract years. Chung is banged, Talib is suspended, and Tampa Bay is reportedly shopping him. He would make a nice back up to Mark Barron. Talib at 6'1" 205# has good size and man coverage ability. The Pats could use Talib and Ras-I Dowling as their outside CBs in a man coverage scheme with Alfonzo Dennard in the slot and McCourty-Wilson-Gregory as the safeties.

It's a deal that might actally improve both teams. A bit off the wall, and Talib certainly has red flags. Maybe it's crazy. But there's a chance he could bring something significant to the secondary that we're currently lacking.

 

[DarrylS]

There are some nice options available in FA as stop gaps at the very least...

I am a skeptic, as to how many times have we had upgrdes come in for more money just to watch them flounder.. Rodney was the exception, if we can find another #37 I am all in..