Bill Polian says Mayo will replace Ray Lewis as NFL's best linebacker

BennyBledsoe said:

I'd rank at least Patrick Willis ALREADY above Ray Lewis.

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I'd rank Mayo above Lewis right now. Theres probably 10 MLBs I'd rank above Lewis.


Not Lewis of 2001, but Lewis of now. Hes good, but hes not great anymore.

nashvillepatsfan said:

My fantasy would be Mayo, and Willis as our MLBs in the 3-4.......

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That would be great, but Willis will not be a free agent until 2013. I would like it if the Pats went after DeMeco Ryans from the Texans. He's working on his 4th solid season and is going to tally over 100 Tackles for the 4th year in a row. I would not mind seeing him next to Mayo.

rbchamps2 said:

That would be great, but Willis will not be a free agent until 2013. I would like it if the Pats went after DeMeco Ryans from the Texans. He's working on his 4th solid season and is going to tally over 100 Tackles for the 4th year in a row. I would not mind seeing him next to Mayo.

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Why do people have to try and run every good but not superstar player the patriots have out of town? Guyton is a good starter.

bostonia3333 said:

Agree about Willis. I'm assuming Polian thinks Mayo may become what Ray Lewis was in his prime. I think that's what "bell-weather" linebacker means, lol--this Polian guy is kinda slippery and spooky the way he talks.

Towards the end of the article, Polian sounds a bit ticked off that the Bills didn't win that first game at NE! Why he needs to mention the Denver loss is kinda weird.

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My sense from reading the OP was that BP was just making a comment about the fact that the Pats were beatable early in the season and that is why htye looked bad against Buff and that the Den near miss (losing in OT) was to do with the fact that the Pats may not of been back to 100% (if I remember TB missed an open Moss for a TD in that game). So i took BP comments more along the lines that the Pats could be 8-0 or 7-1 had they been healthy from the start . . . so the NFL whould look to the pats as a 7-1 or 8-0 team as opposed to a 6-2 . . . my two cents on his comments . . .

maverick4 said:

Willis is good, but you can't just go by tackles. Mayo could be better in short time.

It is well known that San Francisco's stat guy gives Willis a credit for a tackle just for being in the vicinity of the area. Willis' stats are completely inflated over there.

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Well that might be so, but at one point this year (I think it was 2 games ago, Willis was leading the Niners in Tackles, Picks, and Sacks. Now THAT is a trifecta you DON'T win unless you are something special, and Willis IS.

I think Polian is doing exactly what Belichick would do:

(1) Keep humble.

(2) Play up the other team and don't give them anything extra.

I think Polian knows that Belichick won't be lulled into any false sense of security by praising up the Pats, and I think it's sincere, just as BB's admiration for the Colts is sincere. Both teams are too mentally tough (unlike the Ravens, Jets and Chargers) to be fooled by Jedi mind tricks. Polian may be a douchebag, but he's a brilliant douchebag. If I were a Colts fan (god forbid) I'd probably love Polian and hate Belichick.

It is well known that San Francisco's stat guy gives Willis a credit for a tackle just for being in the vicinity of the area.

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Thats nothing abnormal. Tedi Bruschi used to occasionally get assists for plays where he wasn't on the field. Seriously.

Last year a couple of teams had like 50% more solo tackles than they ran defensive plays.


Tackles are done by the stadium scorer and not the NFL. They're a junk stat.

IMO Polian has mellowed after getting his ring. He doesn't seem to be the same whiny arrogant person he was before he and Payton won the SB a few years back.

maverick4 said:

Willis is good, but you can't just go by tackles. Mayo could be better in short time.

It is well known that San Francisco's stat guy gives Willis a credit for a tackle just for being in the vicinity of the area. Willis' stats are completely inflated over there.

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Willis is better in pass coverage. I think that's what separates the two.

rbchamps2 said:

That would be great, but Willis will not be a free agent until 2013. I would like it if the Pats went after DeMeco Ryans from the Texans. He's working on his 4th solid season and is going to tally over 100 Tackles for the 4th year in a row. I would not mind seeing him next to Mayo.

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Demeco Ryans is a very good LB and definately under valued by most.

Him, Cushing and Williams are the backbone of that defense and a very good building blocks.

As far as the best middle LB, I would put John Beason as my #1. That guy is a beast.

condon84 said:

As far as the best middle LB, I would put John Beason as my #1. That guy is a beast.

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Forgot about Beason.

I have a sick LB corp in my fantasy league

Beason, Wilis, Harrison, Session, James.

Two words:

Adam Seward

Let's be serious here.

bbabin said:

Two words:

Adam Seward

Let's be serious here.

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Adam Seward is like Larry Bird in the NBA 3 point contest. Everyone knows he's #1, so it's a given that everyone else is just vying for second best.

starting to like Polian a little bit..

wilfork is beastin' said:

starting to like Polian a little bit..

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Don't be fooled. That lip service ends on Sunday, midnight.

nashvillepatsfan said:

My fantasy would be Mayo, and Willis as our MLBs in the 3-4.......

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Draft Sean Weatherspoon and you would have something very similar. I'd rather have Rolando McClain and Mayo, though.

mayoclinic said:

Draft Sean Weatherspoon and you would have something very similar. I'd rather have Rolando McClain and Mayo, though.

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Mayoclinic, I know you love draft talk... aren't you itching to start thinking about this team next year? With what we HAVE and the talent we could get...

JSn said:

Mayoclinic, I know you love draft talk... aren't you itching to start thinking about this team next year? With what we HAVE and the talent we could get...

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I'm itching like crazy. Because as good as this team is, we could be unreal if we had (1) a pass rush to put pressure on opposing QBs - our playmaking secondary would produce turnovers like nobody's business; and (2) a better running game with a power RB to complement Maroney and another power lineman to go with Mankins and Vollmer.

wilfork is beastin' said:

starting to like Polian a little bit..

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Polian is just being a douche, talking up the Pats so if the Colts lose, they have an excuse, and if they win, then they just beat a fantastic team.