Still waiting for classic Seymour: Hard to believe, since some people regard Richard Seymour as the best defensive lineman in the league, but Patriots coaches and club officials are less than thrilled by the performance of the five-time Pro Bowl performer in the five games in which he has played.
Seymour has just 11 tackles, has yet to notch a sack, and isn't close to the dominant form he's displayed in the past. The seven-year veteran began the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list after offseason knee surgery, and there were a few reports, which proved erroneous, that he would not play at all in 2007. Given the cryptic manner in which the Pats' organization deals with injuries, the extent of the knee damage and the type of surgery required has never been revealed, either by Seymour, his representatives, or club officials. And it's not known if it's the residual effects of the knee injury that are restricting Seymour.
But whatever the reason, Seymour isn't playing up to his standards, or those expected of him by his employers. One of Seymour's strong suits is his versatility, the ability to play end in the Pats' base 3-4 front, then to slide down inside to tackle on passing downs, or when New England changes into a four-man front, as it did frequently against Baltimore on Monday night.
But Seymour hasn't been very effective in either role so far this season. And in the Monday night victory at Baltimore, in which the Ravens' line carved open big holes for tailback Willis McGahee, the veteran lineman too often lost gap integrity. New England understands that Seymour probably won't be 100 percent recovered this season. But the Pats are paying their 2001 first-round pick a lot of money -- one survey tabbed him as the NFL's highest paid player in terms of total compensation for 2006 -- and they want to see a little more return on their investment.
