At least 12 open or competitive defensive roster spots

[mgteich]

I have twelve open or very competitive spots on defense. However, that does NOT mean that draftees or even rookies will fill them all. Almost assuredly, that will NOT be the case. Some will be filled by existing players, some by veteran free agents, draftees, and by UDFA's.

I presume that Colvin and Harrison will stay. Fully half the defensive positions are up for grabs. It seems to be that is a very large number for an 18-1 team. Is this really SB quality for half of our defense?

WHO I HAVE IN THE TWELVE OPEN/COMPEITITIVE POSITIONS FOR NOW
DL Smith, Thomas, Moore
LB Bruschi, Seau, Lua, Alexander
CB Spann, Richardson, Chad Scott
S Andrews/Mitchell, Ventrone


MY ROSTER AS OF TODAY
DE - 4 Warren, Green, Seymour, WRIGHT
DT - 4 Wilfork, Le Kevin Smith, Santonio Thomas, MOORE
LB - 8 Vrabel, Colvin, Adalius Thomas, BRUSCHI, SEAU
Woods, Alexander, Lua
CB - 4 Hobbs, Spann, Richardson, SCOTT
S - 5 Sanders, Harrison, Meriweather, Andrews/MITCHELL, Ventrone

 

[Jimke]

Miguel's list of free agents backs up your assessment. Bruschi,
Gay, Izzo, Mitchell, Samuel, Seau, Scott, and Wilson are UFAs.
Moore and Wright are RFAs. Alexander, Ventrone, and Woods
are exclusive right free agents and should be back.
Among the other defensive players under contract, Andrews,
Lua, Richardson, Spann, and Thomas are not locks to make
the team.
Unlike other years, lots of room for new faces and hopefully
a few young ones.

 

[mgteich]

I always print out Miguel's roster by position and free agency list before any effort at working on a roster.

Miguel's list of free agents backs up your assessment. Bruschi,
Gay, Izzo, Mitchell, Samuel, Seau, Scott, and Wilson are UFAs.
Moore and Wright are RFAs. Alexander, Ventrone, and Woods
are exclusive right free agents and should be back.
Among the other defensive players under contract, Andrews,
Lua, Richardson, Spann, and Thomas are not locks to make
the team.
Unlike other years, lots of room for new faces and hopefully
a few young ones.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Anyone else thinking that there's an outside chance that Pierre Woods makes a leap up the depth chart this offseason, or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

 

[Bertil]

Anyone else thinking that there's an outside chance that Pierre Woods makes a leap up the depth chart this offseason, or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

Pierre's been solid whenever he's been out there. It's just that he's gotten so little opportunity.

 

[ATippett56]

I have twelve open or very competitive spots on defense. However, that does NOT mean that draftees or even rookies will fill them all. Almost assuredly, that will NOT be the case. Some will be filled by existing players, some by veteran free agents, draftees, and by UDFA's.

I presume that Colvin and Harrison will stay. Fully half the defensive positions are up for grabs. It seems to be that is a very large number for an 18-1 team. Is this really SB quality for half of our defense?

WHO I HAVE IN THE TWELVE OPEN/COMPEITITIVE POSITIONS FOR NOW
DL Smith, Thomas, Moore
LB Bruschi, Seau, Lua, Alexander
CB Spann, Richardson, Chad Scott
S Andrews/Mitchell, Ventrone


MY ROSTER AS OF TODAY
DE - 4 Warren, Green, Seymour, WRIGHT
DT - 4 Wilfork, Le Kevin Smith, Santonio Thomas, MOORE
LB - 8 Vrabel, Colvin, Adalius Thomas, BRUSCHI, SEAU
Woods, Alexander, Lua
CB - 4 Hobbs, Spann, Richardson, SCOTT
S - 5 Sanders, Harrison, Meriweather, Andrews/MITCHELL, Ventrone

Defensive Line

Le Kevin Smith and Mike Wright will make the final roster while Rashad Moore and Santonio Thomas battle for the final spot.

Cornerback

Antwain Spann is nothing more than training camp fodder while Chad Scott is better known as "Charred" Scott. Essentially, the Patriots will be down to two cornerbacks, Ellis Hobbs and Mike Richardson with Tim Mixon as a complete unknown. It will be a priority in the 2008 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots to select two cornerbacks in the first three rounds.

Linebacker

Time has passed Bruschi and Seau and it's time for both to retire. The New England Patriots will need to select at least two inside linebackers (preferably three) in the 2008 NFL draft. Hopefully the New England Patriots can find value at inside linebacker in draft rounds four thru seven. Meanwhile, the Patriots need to find a defensive end in the 2008 NFL draft to convert to outside linebacker and the best value will be in the first round.

Safety

This will all depend on whether Rodney Harrison retires. If Rodney Harrison plays another year, the Patriots will have at least five safeties for next year:

Rodney Harrison
James Sanders
Brandon Meriweather
Willie Andrews or Mel Mitchell
Raymond Ventrone

If Vernon Gholston is available at number seven draft position, the Patriots definitely need to grab him. If the New York Jets grab Gholston before the Patriots pick, trade down to the middle of the first round, grab another first day draft pick, and select Quentin Groves, DE/OLB from Auburn.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

I can't even begin to think about super bowl contention until these question marks are no longer question marks.

 

[mgteich]

I agree with your draft strategy for the first three rounds. I would note that we might trade up for Chris Long if we can, but that's a long shot.

I agree with your assessment of the DL, although I think we'll keep 8 through all of camp.

Chad Scott is probably camp fodder, but likely signed before the draft.

We might very well draft 2-3 or three ILB's. I'm not sure what good it will do. We've needed ILB's forever. Is this draft class have the best depth for iLB's in the last five years? We've been looking at lest since then. Besides these guys won't be on the active roster unless they are special team demons. I expect us to find ILB's from the same sources as always: by moving over our OLB's, by signing free agents or both.

Defensive Line

Le Kevin Smith and Mike Wright will make the final roster while Rashad Moore and Santonio Thomas battle for the final spot.

Cornerback

Antwain Spann is nothing more than training camp fodder while Chad Scott is better known as "Charred" Scott. Essentially, the Patriots will be down to two cornerbacks, Ellis Hobbs and Mike Richardson with Tim Mixon as a complete unknown. It will be a priority in the 2008 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots to select two cornerbacks in the first three rounds.

Linebacker

Time has passed Bruschi and Seau and it's time for both to retire. The New England Patriots will need to select at least two inside linebackers (preferably three) in the 2008 NFL draft. Hopefully the New England Patriots can find value at inside linebacker in draft rounds four thru seven. Meanwhile, the Patriots need to find a defensive end in the 2008 NFL draft to convert to outside linebacker and the best value will be in the first round.

Safety

This will all depend on whether Rodney Harrison retires. If Rodney Harrison plays another year, the Patriots will have at least five safeties for next year:

Rodney Harrison
James Sanders
Brandon Meriweather
Willie Andrews or Mel Mitchell
Raymond Ventrone

If Vernon Gholston is available at number seven draft position, the Patriots definitely need to grab him. If the New York Jets grab Gholston before the Patriots pick, trade down to the middle of the first round, grab another first day draft pick, and select Quentin Groves, DE/OLB from Auburn.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Pierre's been solid whenever he's been out there. It's just that he's gotten so little opportunity.

Yeah, I agree, which seems awfully strange to me. It's seemed to me like there were times when they could have used Woods outside, and rotated Thomas inside to give Seau and Bruschi a breather. Just to shore up depth, in general, and also get a little more speed on the field, as Thomas might be able to take away a little bit of the middle of the field. Of course, Belichick obviously disagreed, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he knows a little more about linebackers than I do.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Defensive Line

Le Kevin Smith and Mike Wright will make the final roster while Rashad Moore and Santonio Thomas battle for the final spot.

Cornerback

Antwain Spann is nothing more than training camp fodder while Chad Scott is better known as "Charred" Scott. Essentially, the Patriots will be down to two cornerbacks, Ellis Hobbs and Mike Richardson with Tim Mixon as a complete unknown. It will be a priority in the 2008 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots to select two cornerbacks in the first three rounds.

Linebacker

Time has passed Bruschi and Seau and it's time for both to retire. The New England Patriots will need to select at least two inside linebackers (preferably three) in the 2008 NFL draft. Hopefully the New England Patriots can find value at inside linebacker in draft rounds four thru seven. Meanwhile, the Patriots need to find a defensive end in the 2008 NFL draft to convert to outside linebacker and the best value will be in the first round.

Safety

This will all depend on whether Rodney Harrison retires. If Rodney Harrison plays another year, the Patriots will have at least five safeties for next year:

Rodney Harrison
James Sanders
Brandon Meriweather
Willie Andrews or Mel Mitchell
Raymond Ventrone

If Vernon Gholston is available at number seven draft position, the Patriots definitely need to grab him. If the New York Jets grab Gholston before the Patriots pick, trade down to the middle of the first round, grab another first day draft pick, and select Quentin Groves, DE/OLB from Auburn.

I agree with most of what you said, except for Seau. As long as he isn't starting, he could be a valuable situational ILB for at least one more year. He's may be too exploitable in passing situations to be an every-down player anymore, but that doesn't mean that Belichick can't find a good use for him.

 

[ATippett56]

I agree with most of what you said, except for Seau. As long as he isn't starting, he could be a valuable situational ILB for at least one more year. He's may be too exploitable in passing situations to be an every-down player anymore, but that doesn't mean that Belichick can't find a good use for him.

If there is one free agent linebacker that Belichick will probably go after, it's most likely Clark Haggans from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

http://www.nfl.com/players/clarkhaggans/profile?id=HAG475070

With the Steelers drafting Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley in the first and second rounds in 2007, I expect the Steelers will allow Haggans to depart via unrestricted free agency. Also, Belichick is known for grabbing ex-Steelers defensive players ......

Mike Vrabel
Rodney Bailey
Chad Scott
Chad Brown

 

[Fencer]

I imagine that on almost every team the bottom half of the roster is vulnerable and/or apt to leave in free agency themselves. That said:

1. It's a pity Woods made a ghastly play in the Super Bowl. Somehow I have trouble imagining Matt Chatham losing hold of a fumble.

2. Chad Scott has played perfectly decently when he's been healthy. I think. It's so long ago that my memory may be a bit fuzzy.

3. Gay is a lot like TBC -- the kind of middle-class player the Pats could easily keep, but who also could easily get too much money elsewhere.

4. Pioli just blew it on Asante. It happens.

5. Very unlikely that Rodney retires. We'll have a lot of safety depth. Presumably, we'll be light on CBs again.

6. I love Spann. I hope whatever is wrong in his game can be overcome.

7. BB would hire Bruschi and Seau if they were on other teams. He'll surely keep them if he can.

 

[miDeuce]

If there is one free agent linebacker that Belichick will probably go after, it's most likely Clark Haggans from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I'd rather see them invest that money in restructuring Colvin. He's younger and already knows our defense.