Weakspot on D

It appears the defense is nearly complete...But. there is still two wide open spots in the back up LB corps...
LDE
Ninkovich, and Easley (yes he will play DE)
RDE
Jones and Moore...The best of Bucannon, Smith amd Bequette will take the last spot on the DL
DT
Wilfork, Armstead, Silga, Jones, and Kelly comlete the DL at ten...
CB
Revis, Browner, Dennard, Ryan, Arrington...
S
McCourty, Harmond, Ebner, Wilson, and Chung(may be one change on the end of the order...
LB
Collins, Hightower, Mayo.....and WHO....Two spots on the d.....right here...
Amazeing, the strongest position coming into the off season is now the weakest, coming into camp....
Hope at least one of the UDFA's in this area hits...will be of the utmost intrest in camp...Maybe we can trade Mallett for a good Back up LB.....

I wouldn't expect Easley to play outside a lot based on the videos available. He has short arms and gets ridden outside the pocket most times he rushes from the end. Seems better inside.

part-timer said:

It appears the defense is nearly complete...But. there is still two wide open spots in the back up LB corps...
LDE
Ninkovich, and Easley (yes he will play DE)
RDE
Jones and Moore...The best of Bucannon, Smith amd Bequette will take the last spot on the DL
DE
Wilfork, Armstead, Silga, Jones, and Kelly comlete the DL at ten...
CB
Revis, Browner, Dennard, Ryan, Arrington...
S
McCourty, Harmond, Ebner, Wilson, and Chung(may be one change on the end of the order...
LB
Collins, Hightower, Mayo.....and WHO....Two spots on the d.....right here...
Amazeing, the strongest position coming into the off season is now the weakest, coming into camp....
Hope at least one of the UDFA's in this area hits...will be of the utmost intrest in camp...Maybe we can trade Mallett for a good Back up LB.....

Click to expand...

Wouldn't be surprised to see Nincovich play some LB. Zach Moore a lock over Buchanan and Will Smith?

Interior d-line. Wilfork is coming back from a serious injury, same with kelly. theyre both old. we have nothing behind them. vellano/chris jones looked like were on ice skates last year. easily pushed around by even the worst guards/centers.

That's why Smith/Buchanon and the other backup DE's are additionally important, if they can effectively handle enough reps Ninkovich can fill one of those spots. Perhaps if Easley pans out he can take some snaps at DE as well?

If the Pats put Easley at DE, they're insane. He's an interior DL disruptive force.

Right now, here are the linebackers on the Patriots roster:

58Steve BeauharnaisLB246-12402Rutgers
91Jamie CollinsLB246-32502Southern Mississippi
53Ja'Gared DavisLB236-12351Southern Methodist
54Dont'a HightowerLB246-32703Alabama
--Josh HullLB266-32455Penn State
51Jerod MayoLB286-12507Tennessee
7Taylor ReedLB225-11236RSouthern Methodist
--Will SmithLB326-328211Ohio State
59Chris WhiteLB256-32384Mississippi State

Of course, Collins, Mayo, and Hightower are fine. After that, however, it's a lot of uninspiring names. Plus, Will Smith isn't really a linebacker, but a lineman.

How to address it? Well, they didn't go after much in free agency (Hull). James Harrison is essentially the only semi-decent LB left unsigned. They didn't pick up anyone in the draft. They have no in-house options. Are they going to wait to see who gets cut in the summer? Or will they try to make a trade.

If Hightower, Collins, and Mayo all stay healthy, then they probably can get by. But the odds of that happening are pretty slim. They need some better depth.

"Well, they didn't go after much in free agency (Hull)."
-------------------------------------------------------------

Actually, in the first couple of days of free agency, they went hard after Wesley Woodyard and Matt Shaughnessy, brought them in for visits, etc. and reportedly were very close, but they both slipped away (guess they didn't appreciate the Ground Round).

But I agree with you. This is now the most worrisome area regarding depth.

The Pats play something like 60% of the defensive plays in a sub package, so the the need for LBs is not what it once was in the days of the old 3-4.

I believe that Easley is destined to play quite a bit of DE for the Pats, opposite Chandler Jones. This gives them the option of calling Ninkovitch a linebacker if necessary.

Also, there will certainly be veteran LBs available. With Mayo, Hightower, and Collins, it's not like the Pats are looking for starters. We are talking about depth.

part-timer said:

It appears the defense is nearly complete...But. there is still two wide open spots in the back up LB corps...
LDE
Ninkovich, and Easley (yes he will play DE)
RDE
Jones and Moore...The best of Bucannon, Smith amd Bequette will take the last spot on the DL
DE
Wilfork, Armstead, Silga, Jones, and Kelly comlete the DL at ten...
CB
Revis, Browner, Dennard, Ryan, Arrington...
S
McCourty, Harmond, Ebner, Wilson, and Chung(may be one change on the end of the order...
LB
Collins, Hightower, Mayo.....and WHO....Two spots on the d.....right here...
Amazeing, the strongest position coming into the off season is now the weakest, coming into camp....
Hope at least one of the UDFA's in this area hits...will be of the utmost intrest in camp...Maybe we can trade Mallett for a good Back up LB.....

Click to expand...

Easley will NOT play DE unless it's in a 3-4 alignment. He's a DT. He'll be lining up next to Vince or Tommy Kelly.
Armstead will probably see time at DT and DE if he makes the team.

CB was arguable the strongest position going into the draft, not LB. And LB was not the strongest position going into the off-season since we knew that Spikes was most likely gone and that there was a good possibility that Fletcher was gone as well.

If you think Easley won't be lining up at multiple positions on the line, better check with Bill. When asked if Easley was a little light at 288 pounds, Belichick's response was, "Well, it depends where he plays...."

I suspect the distinction in the Pats defense going forward is more what a DLineman is being asked to do, not what letters are after their name on the depth chart. Easley was presumably drafted to get upfield. I don't think that implies any particular spot on the line. He rushed from every position on the line in college. I suspect that's a big part of the reason Belichick took him in the first round. He loves to move players around to create matchup problems, often from one play to the next.

50-yard-line said:

If the Pats put Easley at DE, they're insane. He's an interior DL disruptive force.

Click to expand...

Wasn't he called a DE on the podium? Unless there was a mistake there, to me that suggests a return of the 3-4.

Suppose that kind of negates the lack of depth at LB somewhat, as would a 5-2 front.

So, the idea is that we took the best inside pass-rusher in the draft in order to play him at DE?

part-timer said:

It appears the defense is nearly complete...But. there is still two wide open spots in the back up LB corps

Click to expand...

Totally agree, that's my biggest disappointment with this draft. My best guess is that they're penciling in Chung as a S/LB hybrid, which could have potential. We all have painful memories of Chung's weaknesses in deep coverage, but he's a strong tackler and effective in the box.

LDE
Ninkovich, and Easley (yes he will play DE)

RDE
Jones and Moore...The best of Bucannon, Smith amd Bequette will take the last spot on the DL
DE <---I assume you meant to type DT
Wilfork, Armstead, Silga, Jones, and Kelly comlete the DL at ten...

Click to expand...

Here you've lost me a bit. You've inked in a late developmental pick out of DII ahead of Michael Buchanan? And listed Armstead -- who has been on the Patriots roster as a DE from the day he was signed -- as DT only, with Easley as DE only? (IMO Easley and Armstead are both moving parts.)

I think Easley would be awesome at DE on running downs and inside at DT on passing downs.

Here you've lost me a bit. You've inked in a late developmental pick out of DII ahead of Michael Buchanan? And listed Armstead -- who has been on the Patriots roster as a DE from the day he was signed -- as DT only, with Easley as DE only? (IMO Easley and Armstead are both moving parts.)[/QUOTE]

correct...Armstead and Easley both will move around the DL, but....I see Armstead learning and playing the Tommy Kelly roll along side Vince initially.... and Easley working his way into the DE rotation with Nink, and Jones.....
As far as Moore....If BB was satisfied with Bucannon or Bequette, Smith would not have been brought in and Moore would not have had a pick used on him...So after 1-2 years both are still questionable...
By the last quarter of the season we will see a very interchangeable group on the DL of Jones, Armstead, Wilfork, and Easley