Real Football talk

[Crazyeechrispats1]

Alright I am sitting here thinking what do you think the roster for the secondary is gonna shape up to be this year?
Also will we bring back Law?
I say no he burned to many bridges with BB and is all about his money Fernando Bryant isn't a bad veteran corner to have to help the young guys out with some things.
Heres how I see the Secondary playing out

LCB Ellis Hobbs the lll
RCB Fernando Bryant
NCB Terrance Wheately
DCB Jonathan Whilhite
FS Brandon Meriweather
SS Rodney Harrison
Backups
James Sanders
Mike Richardson
Willie Andrews
Tank Williams
Lewis Sanders

I think we go into the season with 10 active Defensivebacks on the roster
Willie Tank and Lewis can all play special teams well, Tank can be a big hitter in close quaters
Lewis Sanders has some hitting ability and held together on a pathetic Atlanta Defense.
Injuries could change this as well as some undfa stepping up or if we bring in Law.
IF we only go with 9 then Sanders is the odd man out.

Please respond and give me your thoughts and personal insight.
Anything is better than the spygate talk.

 

[slash83]

Alright I am sitting here thinking what do you think the roster for the secondary is gonna shape up to be this year?
Also will we bring back Law?
I say no he burned to many bridges with BB and is all about his money Fernando Bryant isn't a bad veteran corner to have to help the young guys out with some things.
Heres how I see the Secondary playing out

LCB Ellis Hobbs the lll
RCB Fernando Bryant
NCB Terrance Wheately
DCB Jonathan Whilhite
FS Brandon Meriweather
SS Rodney Harrison
Backups
James Sanders
Mike Richardson
Willie Andrews
Tank Williams
Lewis Sanders

I think we go into the season with 10 active Defensivebacks on the roster
Willie Tank and Lewis can all play special teams well, Tank can be a big hitter in close quaters
Lewis Sanders has some hitting ability and held together on a pathetic Atlanta Defense.
Injuries could change this as well as some undfa stepping up or if we bring in Law.
IF we only go with 9 then Sanders is the odd man out.

Please respond and give me your thoughts and personal insight.
Anything is better than the spygate talk.

I hope Meriweather wins the job and starts at FS, Sanders is a good saftey but lets face it he's not the playmaker Meriweather can be.

 

[jmt57]

I doubt Ty Law is coming back. I thought I remembered Mike Reiss writing a piece that said as much a few weeks ago, but I could be mistaken. In my opinion Law and his agent have a salary in mind based on his career numbers. BB and staff probably have a much lower number based on what they believe his value will be this year.

 

[dhamz]

Also will we bring back Law?
I say no he burned to many bridges with BB

He burned no bridges with BB who has tried to sign him multiple times since he left. He is probably not coming back but that is about the same thing it has been in the past - a difference between the value the Pats place on him and the value others place on him.

 

[Sicilian]

Alright I am sitting here thinking what do you think the roster for the secondary is gonna shape up to be this year?
Also will we bring back Law?
I say no he burned to many bridges with BB and is all about his money Fernando Bryant isn't a bad veteran corner to have to help the young guys out with some things.
Heres how I see the Secondary playing out

LCB Ellis Hobbs the lll
RCB Fernando Bryant
NCB Terrance Wheately
DCB Jonathan Whilhite
FS Brandon Meriweather
SS Rodney Harrison
Backups
James Sanders
Mike Richardson
Willie Andrews
Tank Williams
Lewis Sanders

I think we go into the season with 10 active Defensivebacks on the roster
Willie Tank and Lewis can all play special teams well, Tank can be a big hitter in close quaters
Lewis Sanders has some hitting ability and held together on a pathetic Atlanta Defense.
Injuries could change this as well as some undfa stepping up or if we bring in Law.
IF we only go with 9 then Sanders is the odd man out.

Please respond and give me your thoughts and personal insight.
Anything is better than the spygate talk.

As much as I'd love to believe that Wheatley and Wilhite will be there by years end, I'm skeptical they'll start out as the Nickel and Dime backs. Look at the history of BB's defensive draft picks. With rare exceptions, they all take a while to acclimate to the Patriots scheme.

I think it's more likely that Hobbs and Bryant are the starters with Sanders squared as the Nickel and Dime (maybe Williams in certain situations). The two rookies will see spot duty (with Wheatley returning some kicks as well), and as they learn the ins and outs they're playing time will increase over the year as Meriweather's did.

 

[Deus Irae]

I find it interesting that Webster's getting no love here and being left completely off the final roster.

 

[Sicilian]

I find it interesting that Webster's getting no love here and being left completely off the final roster.

I'll admit I don't know much about him. That being said, all things equal I'd bet on him as a veteran getting early playing time over the rooks as well.

 

[Crazyeechrispats1]

I don't know it's true the first free agents we signed were Webster and Aiken.
In my limited football knowledge compared to BB I don't see either one making the final roster.
Only way Webster makes this team is injuries.
Think about this stacked up to Wheately and Whlhite he is much older a few steps slower.
We can't say he knows the defense cause this is his first season as well.
Plus he has battled injuries he's not a big hitter he's not known as a ball hawk just a very unspectacular player and when you think about the comments younger and faster on defense.
It's hard for me to see where he fits in in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't know it's true the first free agents we signed were Webster and Aiken.
In my limited football knowledge compared to BB I don't see either one making the final roster.
Only way Webster makes this team is injuries.
Think about this stacked up to Wheately and Whlhite he is much older a few steps slower.
We can't say he knows the defense cause this is his first season as well.
Plus he has battled injuries he's not a big hitter he's not known as a ball hawk just a very unspectacular player and when you think about the comments younger and faster on defense.
It's hard for me to see where he fits in in the grand scheme of things.

Both Webster and Bryant have been NFL starters for most of their careers. I don't know how it will play out, but I have a very difficult time believing that all 3 of the group of Wheatley, Wilhite and Richardson will be better players than either one of them. That would make more sense to me if Webster's injury last year had been to a leg rather than an arm. Anything's possible, but I'll need to see this one before I buy into it.

 

[Crazyeechrispats1]

Well either way it looks to be a very competitive battle in the secondary which is great for the team.
I really don't think the loss of Samuel is gonna affect us much.
I see the difference being instead of a pick they'll be a swatted pass then a punt which either way we get the ball back which is fine with me.
As long as we don't give up touchdowns right near the end of a big game I'm content.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I'm not so sure that you can pencil in Andrews, what with his recent pot bust. The Krafts tend to take a dim view on people who value getting high over their jobs.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I make two observations. Although the Pats play both Safeties as Right and Left instead of Weak and Strong, nevertheless there is a difference.

James Sanders is much better as a smallish Strong Safety than as a FS. Brandon Meriwether is the new Starter at FS. Period.

But Rodney was losing it last year. It was obvious to see. He may still be a leader, but once the legs start to go, its over.

James Sanders starts over Rodney. Rodney may play as a nickle LB, but not a SS. Meanwhile he provides pretty good leadership and depth.

I see no indication that Richardson or Willhite are better than former starters @ CB. Wheatley is in the mix, but I woud say that the starting candidates are probably Hobbs and Bryant backed by Webster/Sanders with Wheately in the slot, and whover in the dime, maybe even a Safety.

 

[stinkypete]

I make two observations. Although the Pats play both Safeties as Right and Left instead of Weak and Strong, nevertheless there is a difference.

James Sanders is much better as a smallish Strong Safety than as a FS. Brandon Meriwether is the new Starter at FS. Period.

But Rodney was losing it last year. It was obvious to see. He may still be a leader, but once the legs start to go, its over.

James Sanders starts over Rodney. Rodney may play as a nickle LB, but not a SS. Meanwhile he provides pretty good leadership and depth.

I see no indication that Richardson or Willhite are better than former starters @ CB. Wheatley is in the mix, but I woud say that the starting candidates are probably Hobbs and Bryant backed by Webster/Sanders with Wheately in the slot, and whover in the dime, maybe even a Safety.

I think that is closer to how things will play out. Harrison will "start," we'll see his face on tv durive the introductions, but both Sanders and Meriweather will see more playing time.

I expect to see a 3 safety nickel used pretty frequently, unless one of the rookies shines or Richardson steps up. I think Webster will make the team for his experience and see some early time in the dime, eventually being replaced by either Richardson or Wheatley/Wilhite.