AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
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- Sep 15, 2004
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I am growing weary of the constant criticizing of the Pats 2015 secondary. It is being Over done. Certainly the comparisons to the 2011 secondary are impossible. It will be much better than that SuperBowl teams secondary.
First of all it is not the secondary that is being critqued. The shorthand is erroneous. It is only the CBs. Unlike 2011 when we had neither CBs nor Safeties, today the Safety corps is actually pretty talented. Unlike then we had no Safety who is near Probowl quality unlike Devin McCourty is now. The other Safety was a raw rookie. Now he is an experienced 5 year starter, who while not a star, is not chicken feathers either. The backups are not nameless PS refugees like then either. All are relatively high draft selections with the concomitant athletic abilities that those high selections imply.
So the problem is half as bad as the 2011 secondary (and 2010 and 20112 editions as well)
Lets look at the CBs. Revis is gone. H is the best in the game. As for the others, Browner, Dennard and Arrington were all freely let go. Belichick may be many things; but a Fool he is Not. He wouldn't shed those players unless he believed he had possible or rather probable replacements at hand. OTOH, He has been known to discard players a Year too soon but not hang on until a year too late. Why isn't this the logical answer?
It has been suggested by several respected analysts that without Revis to be the Man coverage Key, the team can't rely on using predominately Man coverage.
Who are the replacements? The Superbowl hero and flashing rookie Malcolm Butler comes to mind. Logan Ryan a relatively high draft selection a few years ago has demonstrated an ability in Zone if not Man coverage ability. So did former starter Brandon Fletcher, who also showed he isn't a good Man cover CB, but was more than adequate starter in Zone coverage for other teams.
The likely CB players will be better than the 2011 edition, and we already know the Safeties are much better. Do you all recall the numerous completions to opposition receivers when the CBs played good "trail technique" but the supposed help of the Safeties arrived way too late, or not at all? Thankfully those days are gone.
I haven't even mentioned the superior DTs, DEs, or the Linebackers who positions are filled with recently drafted star players, playing in front of the realy not-so-bad Safeties and CBs.
BB is reverting to his sound football, Bend don't Break sound Defense but with a much more heavily talented collection of defensive players from top to bottom, save at the two CB positions.
First of all it is not the secondary that is being critqued. The shorthand is erroneous. It is only the CBs. Unlike 2011 when we had neither CBs nor Safeties, today the Safety corps is actually pretty talented. Unlike then we had no Safety who is near Probowl quality unlike Devin McCourty is now. The other Safety was a raw rookie. Now he is an experienced 5 year starter, who while not a star, is not chicken feathers either. The backups are not nameless PS refugees like then either. All are relatively high draft selections with the concomitant athletic abilities that those high selections imply.
So the problem is half as bad as the 2011 secondary (and 2010 and 20112 editions as well)
Lets look at the CBs. Revis is gone. H is the best in the game. As for the others, Browner, Dennard and Arrington were all freely let go. Belichick may be many things; but a Fool he is Not. He wouldn't shed those players unless he believed he had possible or rather probable replacements at hand. OTOH, He has been known to discard players a Year too soon but not hang on until a year too late. Why isn't this the logical answer?
It has been suggested by several respected analysts that without Revis to be the Man coverage Key, the team can't rely on using predominately Man coverage.
Who are the replacements? The Superbowl hero and flashing rookie Malcolm Butler comes to mind. Logan Ryan a relatively high draft selection a few years ago has demonstrated an ability in Zone if not Man coverage ability. So did former starter Brandon Fletcher, who also showed he isn't a good Man cover CB, but was more than adequate starter in Zone coverage for other teams.
The likely CB players will be better than the 2011 edition, and we already know the Safeties are much better. Do you all recall the numerous completions to opposition receivers when the CBs played good "trail technique" but the supposed help of the Safeties arrived way too late, or not at all? Thankfully those days are gone.
I haven't even mentioned the superior DTs, DEs, or the Linebackers who positions are filled with recently drafted star players, playing in front of the realy not-so-bad Safeties and CBs.
BB is reverting to his sound football, Bend don't Break sound Defense but with a much more heavily talented collection of defensive players from top to bottom, save at the two CB positions.
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