Alexander, Lua and Woods

[Tunescribe]

Alexander, Lua and Woods: Can and will any of these three contribute significantly in the regular LB rotation this coming season? Granted, Lua is an unknown commodity. But it seems time for Woods and Alexander to fish or cut bait in 2008 -- what's the deal with those two? Seems to me that special-teams contributors should also be capable of playing their position, though Izzo has been a longtime exception.

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't have any reasonable hope for any of them except Woods. Maybe Lua will surprise, who knows. After Woods got no minutes with Colvin out I was starting to give up on him except as a ST player. But with them willing to give him a series in the SB (admittedly only because the defense had to be tired after the long opening drive, but still) I have renewed hope and have to remember this was only his second year.

 

[Pats726]

Well for Alexander I think that..maybe a bit less for Woods and Lua..esp Lua...He has PSqd time as well...while the others do NOT. I would like to see if any could get into the rotation. One would think that EA might be an ILB candidate..I think this is more the fish or cut bait year for him.. 4 years with the team? I do think they are all possibilities..takes awhile to develop.

 

[signbabybrady]

I think it is time for woods and Alexander to fish or get cut but Lua is such an x factor that I think you would want to give a fair shake as a healthy player.

He has some skills otherwise he would not have been at USC and he would not have deen drafted despite injury history. So here is hoping he is the answer to the future of the ILB on this team.

 

[dhamz]

I hope so but wouldn't bet on it. Most likely they are ST players at best.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

We know nothing about Lua yet,As for Woods and Alexander they are career 3rd string backups or STers IMO

 

[satz]

We know nothing about Lua yet,As for Woods and Alexander they are career 3rd string backups or STers IMO

You mean like vrabel was in his first run with the steelers ?.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Alexander, Lua and Woods: Can and will any of these three contribute significantly in the regular LB rotation this coming season? Granted, Lua is an unknown commodity. But it seems time for Woods and Alexander to fish or cut bait in 2008 -- what's the deal with those two? Seems to me that special-teams contributors should also be capable of playing their position, though Izzo has been a longtime exception.

None of the three have really distinguished themselves, have they? Periodically impressive on Special Teams, they have been unimpressive when asked to take the field in the defensive packages.

This is the one area where Pioli and Belichick have done a poor job, IMO, which is surprising, considering Belichick has always been a linebacker guy. Outside of Adalius Thomas, they have bowled goose-eggs since signing Colvin.

We've had several drafts go by where we have not succesfully addressed the LB position.

We need to get it right in the draft this year, add another decent Free Agent LB in his mid- to late-20's, and pray for the healthy return and re-signing of Colvin.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

You mean like vrabel was in his first run with the steelers ?.

I see your point, but have you seen any of Vrabel in Lua, Woods & Alexander?

You're praying for a diamond in the rough, and it would be great if it happened, but I'd rather get my hands on a proven commodity.

I really thought we should have Paul Posluszny from Penn State when he was on the board last year. We took Brandon Merriweather instead as a young Safety for the future, even though we already had James Sanders and Eugene Wilson on the roster. Now, I know Wilson has not really panned out and will probably be off the roster this off-seaosn, but Sanders has shown promise and safeties are much easier to come by (read: Artrell Hawkins) than solid LBs like Posluszny.

God, wouldn't Jonathon Vilma look great in a Patriots uniform?!?!?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Right after the Colvin injury, didn't Pees publicly talk about how they were thinking about giving Woods some of his reps? I wonder what ever happened there, but it's either an encouraging sign that they were considering it or a discouraging sign that it didn't happen, and I'm not sure which.

 

[BradyFTW!]

God, Jonathon Vilma should SO be playing in New England!

Isn't the whole reason why he's being driven out of NY that he supposedly doesn't fit into Mangini's 3-4? If that's really the case, then I can't imagine that he'd fit very well into ours, either.

 

[dhamz]

Right after the Colvin injury, didn't Pees publicly talk about how they were thinking about giving Woods some of his reps? I wonder what ever happened there, but it's either an encouraging sign that they were considering it or a discouraging sign that it didn't happen, and I'm not sure which.

The comment itself was pretty much meaningless. The Patriots coaching staff never makes a negative comment publicly about one of their own players.

The fact that Colvin's injury did not really result in additional playing time for Woods tells you they did not think he was capable of helping.

 

[DaBruinz]

None of the three have really distinguished themselves, have they? Periodically impressive on Special Teams, they have been unimpressive when asked to take the field in the defensive packages.

This is the one area where Pioli and Belichick have done a poor job, IMO, which is surprising, considering Belichick has always been a linebacker guy. Outside of Adalius Thomas, they have bowled goose-eggs since signing Colvin.

We've had several drafts go by where we have not succesfully addressed the LB position.

We need to get it right in the draft this year, add another decent Free Agent LB in his mid- to late-20's, and pray for the healthy return and re-signing of Colvin.

Junior Seau says "HI" as he smacks you upside your head.

What otherr LBers outside of Beisel and Brown have they signed? Beisel was brought in, originally, to learn the job and be worked into the line-up. Brown was brought in to be part of the rotation. Neither was expected to start immediately. Ted Johnson's unexpected retirment and Vrabel's injury in TC forced that situation.

Now, I'd like to say that BB hasn't always been a LBer guy. In fact, I'd say quite the opposite. All the LBers that he's had that have been outstanding were ones that he didn't have the final say in drafting. Taylor, Banks, McGinest, Bruschi, Johnson, Vrabel, Colvin. None of the players that BB has had a direct hand in drafting, (Powell, Turner, Mincey, TBC, etc) have amounted to anything. LB is the one area that BB and Pioli have missed on when drafting. I'd love it if the Pats had the Pitt LB coach because they've been producing LBers for 4ever.

 

[satz]

I see your point, but have you seen any of Vrabel in Lua, Woods & Alexander?

You're praying for a diamond in the rough, and it would be great if it happened, but I'd rather get my hands on a proven commodity.

I am not looking for a diamond lol.. but i consider these facts
1)For some reason even LB who have played long in the league and considered as top in their position seem to struggle in this system for a year.
2)BB prefers experience and play time .Also a MLB need time to develop physically to take on gaurds in the NFL 3-4 alignment. its takes a few years for a 21-22 yr old to build that kind of strength.Physically alexander at 240lb before his stat is updated.he must be close to 255 lb now.
3)We cannot get a 220lb LB for our system , the gaurds will mow his az so bad he is going to have a very short career.
4)Lua is a tweener but remember people have short memory`s BB used 11 LB on his first couple of years .he had big 280 lb to 230 lb tweeners in different formation.
we need 10 LB in various sizes.phizer ,johnson ,willie were all in rotation.

 

[Fencer]

Woods made one of the worst plays of the Super Bowl, if not the worst, lest we forget.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

This thread is a downer. I was hoping to read some good news about one of the guys listed.

 

[patsfan-1982]

i dont think any of them will play a major roll in 08 but i said that welker would only catch 30 balls last yer lol so who knows

 

[mgteich]

Vilma would be a safety for the patriots. Many posters said that when we considered drafting him.

Isn't the whole reason why he's being driven out of NY that he supposedly doesn't fit into Mangini's 3-4? If that's really the case, then I can't imagine that he'd fit very well into ours, either.

 

[captain stone]

I don't have any reasonable hope for any of them except Woods. Maybe Lua will surprise, who knows. After Woods got no minutes with Colvin out I was starting to give up on him except as a ST player. But with them willing to give him a series in the SB (admittedly only because the defense had to be tired after the long opening drive, but still) I have renewed hope and have to remember this was only his second year.

The sucky thing about Woods being given a series in the SB is that during the series he was given, the game's third (after 63- and 46-yard drives), Manning/Bradshaw fumble the handoff on 2nd/13. If one of the regular 4 LBs were in Woods' place, it wouldn't surprise if that other LB had successfully recovered the ball. And if the offense had converted 3rd/2 on the preceding drive and maybe another 2:00 taken off the game clock, chances are that Woods wouldn't have been needed for that third series. Another example of the across-the-board, top-to-bottom eff-up that was SB42.

My bottom line: Woods receives one last chance; Lua receives at least one more chance; Alexander and Izzo recieve their pink slips, and actual talent (and youth) replace them.

 

[patsox23]

Alexander, Lua and Woods: Can and will any of these three contribute significantly in the regular LB rotation this coming season?

NOPE.

By which I mean...NO F-ing WAY.

By which I mean...can we cut the homerism and see these guys for what they are?

"Be patient!" "They're young!" "We need to give them a chance to get some p-time!"

Sure, Lua, by some miracle, could be a serviceable guy, but Woods and Alexander have shown nothing - and don't give me "they were playing behind Seau and Bruschi." Seau and Bruschi were not good enough AT ALL to explain not playing Woods and Alexander semi-regularly.

Our LB corps needs an overhaul, and will get one.