Your week one starting lineup if the season started tomorrow?

If tomorrow was week one against the Dolphins what would your starting lineup look like?

This is what I have –

QB-Brady
RB-Vereen
XWR-LaFell
ZWR-Edelman
HWR-Amendola
YTE-Hoomanawanui
LT-Solder
LG-Mankins
OC-Stork
RG-Cannon
RT-Vollmer

LE-Ninkovich
DT-Kelly
NT-Wilfork
RE-Jones
SLB-Hightower
MLB-Mayo
WLB-Collins
LCB-Revis
RCB-Dennard
FS-Ryan
SS-McCourty

I do not think Gronkowski will be ready for week one of the regular season otherwise he would be my starting TE. Dobson is not expected to be ready for the start of camp so I also have him out of the starting lineup (for now).

I see this as a list with the personell we have now. But where I think they will be health wise on the week 1 in september.

Will we really go with LCB and RCB? I think it would be better to call them #1 and #2 CB as Revis will most likely always line up over the #1 WR. Also. It would probably be better to line up base defense as that's what we most likely will use the most.

What we do run is LS and RS, not FS and SS. Also I have absolutely no idea why you think that McCourty would be a strong safety when he is best at the deep zone.

I would probably have Mayo and Collins as the 2 starting linebackers. Revis and Dennard as corners with Ryan and Arrington battling for the slot. DMac and Harmon as safeties. Ninkovich and Jones as ends like last year. Then probably Kelly and Easley as starting inside DL. Depending on health and such of course, and if Kelly can play the 1-tech. Then move Kelly to 3-tech and in with Wilfork at 1-tech if they want to try and run it.


On offense it looks good but I would have Ridley as RB. I like vereen as a receving ball. But I'm not very convinced with his durability or ability to run the ball. I'd rather see us go with Ridley as our most used RB because in the first game I'd like to see us consistently move the ball. A good run game lets your drives continue.

At WR I don't really know. I think we go with Edelman in the slot. Then Dobson as the X, I think he will be healthy game 1. Then we go with either LaFell or Amendola as our second outside WR. Amendola looked really good from time to time last year. But he really disappeared for a long time beween those moments. I have 11 formation as the base.

I'm not sure on Cannon as our RG yet. Did he play there last year? I know fans want him as a guard. But did he play there? Didn't Belichick say that he is a tackle and not guard? I'd be very interested to see him play as guard. But I don't see it as a sure deal as BB seems to see him more as a tackle. (Please give me some games where he played guard so I can go back and look at them and know more how he fits there).

Marinlik said:

I see this as a list with the personell we have now. But where I think they will be health wise on the week 1 in september.

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I agree.

Will we really go with LCB and RCB? I think it would be better to call them #1 and #2 CB as Revis will most likely always line up over the #1 WR. Also. It would probably be better to line up base defense as that's what we most likely will use the most.

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We usually do play LCB/RCB unless the other team has an elite WR in that case Revis would probably shadow him.

What we do run is LS and RS, not FS and SS. Also I have absolutely no idea why you think that McCourty would be a strong safety when he is best at the deep zone.

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We do play LS/RS as you said; I just put FS/SS because that is the most common way that a depth chart breaks out. I think McCourty and Ryan will be interchangeable in what they do, depending on alignments one will be the centerfielder and one will be the up safety.

I would probably have Mayo and Collins as the 2 starting linebackers. Revis and Dennard as corners with Ryan and Arrington battling for the slot. DMac and Harmon as safeties. Ninkovich and Jones as ends like last year. Then probably Kelly and Easley as starting inside DL. Depending on health and such of course, and if Kelly can play the 1-tech. Then move Kelly to 3-tech and in with Wilfork at 1-tech if they want to try and run it.

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You are probably right except I think Hightower will get the nod over Collins at least early in the season.

On offense it looks good but I would have Ridley as RB. I like vereen as a receving ball. But I'm not very convinced with his durability or ability to run the ball. I'd rather see us go with Ridley as our most used RB because in the first game I'd like to see us consistently move the ball. A good run game lets your drives continue.

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I started a three WR spread them out offense that is why I went with Vereen otherwise I would have used Ridley as you said.

At WR I don't really know. I think we go with Edelman in the slot. Then Dobson as the X, I think he will be healthy game 1. Then we go with either LaFell or Amendola as our second outside WR. Amendola looked really good from time to time last year. But he really disappeared for a long time beween those moments. I have 11 formation as the base.

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I think training camp competition is going to determine a lot at WR this year. Nobody is a lock to start at this point.

I'm not sure on Cannon as our RG yet. Did he play there last year? I know fans want him as a guard. But did he play there? Didn't Belichick say that he is a tackle and not guard? I'd be very interested to see him play as guard. But I don't see it as a sure deal as BB seems to see him more as a tackle. (Please give me some games where he played guard so I can go back and look at them and know more how he fits there).

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Cannon played really well in place of Vollmer, he proved he could be a starting caliber NFL player, I cannot see any reason why he could not move inside. Generally, players only have an issue moving from guard to tackle not the other way around.

I like your starting offense. I think the Pats come-out throwing against Miami with 3 WR and Vereen. On OL, I'd put Connolly at C with Stork waiting in the wings, but wouldn't change anything else. (My expectation is that we see the same starting line that we did at the beginning of last year, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.)

On defense, there are too many injuries along the DL for me to figure out who lines-up where, but I would expect them to open in the base, probably with one of the young guys (Chris Jones is my guess, although hopefully Easley will be ready - technique and kneewise soon) next to the healthier old guy (please be ready, Vince). I'd expect Harmon to get the start at safety in week one, but I do expect Ryan to take that spot eventually.

Hopefully lafell n at least one of the wonder twins can be replaced by a trade for a wr that belongs starting in the NFL and Dobson becomes half decent. Then we can pit the wonder twins against each other to duel n c who starts as the slot #3 wr. I'm not so much against the wonder twins as I m against them playing anywhere other than the short area slot. And more than one of them being on the field at once. I mean they r OK as slot #3 security blanket guys but any of the other 2 spots is laughable. Not only that they can work better when legit wr's create room for them underneath. If they were baseball players they r the guys u want bunting n trying to draw walks not hitting home runs.

far too many balls in the air right now.
Vereen/Dobson/Amendola/Gronk/Wilfork/Mayo injury status.
rookie integration/second year leaps etc.

I'm sure any pick would be 100 miles off.
What the Heck

QB-Brady
RB-Ridley
WR-Dobson
WR-Edelman
WR-Amendola
TE-Gronk
LT-Solder
LG-Mankins
OC-Stork
RG-Connolly
RT-Vollmer

LE-Ninkovich
DT-Kelly
NT-Wilfork
RE-Jones
LB-Hightower
LB-Mayo
LB-Collins
CB-Revis
CB-Dennard
FS-Harmon
SS-McCourty

I do not know who is healthy.

I assume Wilfork and Gronk are OK since I am not reading a lot about how their new surgery is minor.

Honest to God if I see one more person list McCourty as a strong safety.

Assuming everyone is healthy...

Offense:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Shane Vereen
TE: Rob Gronkowski
LT: Nate Solder
LG: Logan Mankins
OC: Bryan Stork
RG: Marcus Cannon
RT: Sebastian Vollmer
WR: Aaron Dobson
WR: Brandon LaFell
WR: Julian Edelman

Defense:
DE: Rob Ninkovich
DT: Tommy Kelly
NT: Vince Wilfork
DT: Dominique Easley
DE: Chandler Jones
LB: Jerod Mayo
LB: Jamie Collins
CB: Darrelle Revis
CB: Alfonzo Dennard
CB: Logan Ryan
FS: Devin McCourty

Big T - I agree except I'd start McCourty at SS

I can't take it anymore. This season needs to start now! It feels so far away. Well, at least I have the summer to look forward to...

It'll be repetitive to list the whole lineup but I'll make a prediction now that Dobson lines up as #1 receiver. Lafell is #2 and Edelman is in the slot. Basically, I'm predicting that Dobson makes a nice leap in year 2.

Big-T said:

Assuming everyone is healthy...

Offense:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Shane Vereen
TE: Rob Gronkowski
LT: Nate Solder
LG: Logan Mankins
OC: Bryan Stork
RG: Marcus Cannon
RT: Sebastian Vollmer
WR: Aaron Dobson
WR: Brandon LaFell
WR: Julian Edelman

Defense:
DE: Rob Ninkovich
DT: Tommy Kelly
NT: Vince Wilfork
DT: Dominique Easley
DE: Chandler Jones
LB: Jerod Mayo
LB: Jamie Collins
CB: Darrelle Revis
CB: Alfonzo Dennard
CB: Logan Ryan
FS: Devin McCourty

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I like it except Hightower not being out there. Entering his third year I think this could be a real breakout season for him.

Brady&Springsteen FTW said:

Honest to God if I see one more person list McCourty as a strong safety.

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You know McCourty and Ryan are both taller, heavier, performed better on the bench than Gregory our strong safety last year. We aren't the Seahawks he isn't going to be playing in the box.

lurker1965 said:

I do not know who is healthy.

I assume Wilfork and Gronk are OK since I am not reading a lot about how their new surgery is minor.

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New surgery?

Discussing the SS spot here, I remember when we signed Browner some wanted him to move over to SS, but I heard the team's pretty set on him playing CB. I know he's suspended for the first 4 games anyway but could that ever be an option though? 6-4 220 is a verrry nice size for a thumper SS.

Brady6 said:

New surgery?

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I was making up an example of what would be a real story about an injured player's health. I am not implying that there is a story about a secret surgery we do not know of. I can see that reading. Sorry about that.

lurker1965 said:

I was making up an example of what would be a real story about an injured player's health. I am not implying that there is a story about a secret surgery we do not know of. I can see that reading. Sorry about that.

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Oh ok. I thought I had missed something. Thank you for the clarification.

Joey007 said:

Discussing the SS spot here, I remember when we signed Browner some wanted him to move over to SS, but I heard the team's pretty set on him playing CB. I know he's suspended for the first 4 games anyway but could that ever be an option though? 6-4 220 is a verrry nice size for a thumper SS.

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McCourty is as good or better a cornerback as any defensive back on the team not named Revis. Combine that with Browner and Ryan both being able to play cornerback or safety and essentially we can field five or six players who are capable of playing cornerback and match them up however we want.

Joey007 said:

I know he's suspended for the first 4 games anyway but could that ever be an option though? 6-4 220 is a verrry nice size for a thumper SS.

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Some of the hardest hitting safties were average in height. Rodney harrison 6'1 (not bad size though), Troy polomalu 5'10, Bernard pollard 6'1. Having said that, I'd love a massive SS.

people thinking about browner @ "SS" are making the same mistake I and others made by disregarding his actual skill set in favor of his height and weight. Just because he looks like he could play SS doesn't mean he should.