What are your thoughts on Ron Brace?

[The Gr8est]

He has less career tackles then vernon gholston.

That's really all that needs to be said.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.

 

[mgteich]

Brace should probably be replaced on the roster by Pryor. Brace should either be put on IR or simply cut. He has no future here. In emergencies, Francis will get more reps, and that's fine.

For me, Brace was drafted as insurance against Wilfork not re-signing. Wilfork re-signed.

So, in my mind, the pick was fine, as long as Brace was an adequate backup or short yardage player. However, Belichick and posters all indicated that Brace was really draft as a 3-4 DE, a future starter, amazing since he was the slowest defensive player in the entire draft.

My bottom line is that Brace was picked early because we had such a serious need, and hasn't worked out because of his injuries. It is time to move on.

 

[1960Pats]

He can play, but possesses a zero pain threshold. A hangnail is likely to keep him from practice, and inactive on game day. He has shown some skill, but his maladies keep him from being a player.....

He should play Major League Balcoball.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Brace should probably be replaced on the roster by Pryor. Brace should either be put on IR or simply cut. He has no future here. In emergencies, Francis will get more reps, and that's fine.

For me, Brace was drafted as insurance against Wilfork not re-signing. Wilfork re-signed.

So, in my mind, the pick was fine, as long as Brace was an adequate backup or short yardage player. However, Belichick and posters all indicated that Brace was really draft as a 3-4 DE, a future starter, amazing since he was the slowest defensive player in the entire draft.

My bottom line is that Brace was picked early because we had such a serious need, and hasn't worked out because of his injuries. It is time to move on.

Agreed. Vince will be 31 next week. Need to start thinking about another 4-3 DT/3-4 NT/DT

 

[randomk1]

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.

Gholston was the 6th pick. Brace was a 2nd rounder who has had injuries. Gholston didn't even have that excuse if i'm not mistaken. He just flat out stunk.

 

[VJCPatriot]

At best, Brace is a career backup. At worst he wastes cap space and goes to IR.

Would love to upgrade the DT depth behind Wilfork/Love.

Except for Vollmer, our picks in round 2 of the 2009 NFL draft have been pretty much a complete debacle.

Chung looks like he won't be with the team next year.
Brace can't even stay healthy and when he has been healthy has rarely seen the field.
And Darius Butler went the way of the Dodo.

National Football League: NFL Draft Tracker 2009

 

[Patriot Missile]

Had hopes for him but at this point he is just a waste. Myron Pryor is in the same boat. Flash of potential with barely any stats or playing time to back it up. Crableistic.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Drop the bum.

 

[mgteich]

AN ALL-PRO AND A 3 YEAR STARTER = DISASTER ??????

How is Chung a complete disaster since he has been average contributor for 4 years, and a starter for 3?

IMHO, any round that produces an all-pro quality player (Vollmer) cannot be considered a disaster.

At best, Brace is a career backup. At worst he wastes cap space and goes to IR.

Would love to upgrade the DT depth behind Wilfork/Love.

Except for Vollmer, our picks in round 2 of the 2009 NFL draft have been pretty much a complete debacle.

Chung looks like he won't be with the team next year.
Brace can't even stay healthy and when he has been healthy has rarely seen the field.
And Darius Butler went the way of the Dodo.

National Football League: NFL Draft Tracker 2009

 

[patfanken]

He is a guy that can't stay healthy. All reports were that he was having a great camp and doing well. Injuries suck.

Too many people on this forum take too much delight in labeling players busts or soft.

Some guys just have crappy luck. Football is a physical game.

Amen. Its injuries and nothing but injuries. At the start of the season, Brace had earned snaps by being the first DT off the ball, by consistently moving back the LOS into the defensive backfield. I thought for certain he was going to have a break out kind of year in a back up role, similar to what Cuinningham is having.

The injury criticism is a legitimate one. You can't contribute if you aren't on the field. However it pisses me off the way "same" people who couldn't tolerate a hangnail, pompously call an NFL player "soft" simply because he's gotten injured. These are generally the same internet tough guys who couldn't stand toe to toe with Pop Warner kids.


Its a shame this kids career has been ruined thus far by injuries

 

[BradyFTW!]

At best, Brace is a career backup. At worst he wastes cap space and goes to IR.

Would love to upgrade the DT depth behind Wilfork/Love.

Except for Vollmer, our picks in round 2 of the 2009 NFL draft have been pretty much a complete debacle.

Chung looks like he won't be with the team next year.
Brace can't even stay healthy and when he has been healthy has rarely seen the field.
And Darius Butler went the way of the Dodo.

National Football League: NFL Draft Tracker 2009

The benchmark of just about every NFL team is that, if you can hit on 50% of your 2nd round picks, you're doing well. In 2009 the Patriots got a three-year starter and a pro bowler out of four picks. They, pretty much by definition of second round success odds, did well.

You need to either learn what debacle means or get some perspective, I'd say.

As for Brace, there isn't a whole lot to say, really. The pick seemed suspect to me from day one -- after all, if BC had an elite talent like Raji *and* a second round talent in Brace playing next to him, then you'd think that their defensive line would have been better. Kinda reminded me of when Ryan Sims and Julius Pepper both went at the top of the first round despite UNC's defensive line having been not-great when they played there together. It didn't add up.