Ayers and Branch

JackBauer said:

Casillas, too. Looks to be everything you want in a sub LB. BB has done a terrific job stocking depth mid-season, and I think all three of these guys should be kept around after the season.

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Considering where they were (Tenn, TB) and where they are, if the $$ is right, hopefully it may not be too much of a sell to convince them to stay...
I don't think they are worried about playoff shares in either of those cities...

Ayers, Branch, Casillas and Wright. Makes reminiscing about the the Jerel Worthy and Ben Bass trades seem like a lifetime ago....

PatsFan2 said:

Akeem Ayers is just a football player one thing that is notable about him is that he holds the Edge Excellent against the run. No knock but as good as Chandler Jones is as pass rushers he's not a finished product against the run. Ayers is like another Nickovich on the weak side they might not wow you on very play but you will remember the key plays they make. I hope we find a way to extend Ayers he looks like a versatile LB who can play inside and out he looked better than Revis making that Int last night I thought he was a CB. P.s. we all love a healthy Jerod Mayo but its a fact he's not the only Mike LB on this Team. I think the Pats might ask him the restructure they have ask better players to so so in in the past.

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Great post, best I've ever seen from you!

I said it quite early on in his tenure here, but the more time that goes by, the similarities seem to be getting stronger. I really am seeing a lot of Rosie Colvin in him. Both came in to the league as undersized pass rushers who had to put on some weight to last. Both were very under utilized in coverage in their previous teams, and both give the pats something they desperately needed, which was an end who could pull inside without much lost.

I think he could be a really good value signing this summer, if his value hasnt blown up over the last couple weeks already.

PatsFan2 said:

With the Dept we have there I love the resting of Big Vince w are going to need him Big in the Playoffs.

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And given his hustle downfield on McCourty's INT Wilfork will use every bit of energy he can squeeze out.

The one thing I dislike about Ayers is him getting pancaked on some of his rushes. That needs to stop.

JackBauer said:

Casillas, too. Looks to be everything you want in a sub LB. BB has done a terrific job stocking depth mid-season, and I think all three of these guys should be kept around after the season.

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Yep. The Front Six-to-Seven are looking a lot deeper than they did a little while ago.

Next year's draft could be about BPA a lot more than need. (That said, I'm sure most of us would like a first-round OG.)

PatsFan2 said:

Akeem Ayers is just a football player one thing that is notable about him is that he holds the Edge Excellent against the run. No knock but as good as Chandler Jones is as pass rushers he's not a finished product against the run. Ayers is like another Nickovich on the weak side they might not wow you on very play but you will remember the key plays they make. I hope we find a way to extend Ayers he looks like a versatile LB who can play inside and out he looked better than Revis making that Int last night I thought he was a CB. P.s. we all love a healthy Jerod Mayo but its a fact he's not the only Mike LB on this Team. I think the Pats might ask him the restructure they have ask better players to so so in in the past.

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Disagree on Chandler vs the run. He struggled early this year with it. VS Miami he mostly got to go against the guard, so I don't really blame him for struggling there. Against Kansas he struggled because he 2 gaped the end and bit to hard on Charles, something he can't do. But in his 2 prior seasons he has been good against the run. I'm not going to say he's bad against the run for a few sub par games(in new schemes) and completely disregard his prior success.

Fencer said:

Yep. The Front Six-to-Seven are looking a lot deeper than they did a little while ago.

Next year's draft could be about BPA a lot more than need. (That said, I'm sure most of us would like a first-round OG.)

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I agree, presuming that all of the following are back: Revis, McCourty, Ayers, Branch, Casillas, Chung, Amendola and Connolly.

So, I do think that there might be needs, if the players leaving aren't replaced before the draft.

I have been asking for an OG in the first couple of rounds for about five years, so yes, I agree with the need for an OG, even if we extend Wendell.

Marinlik said:

Disagree on Chandler vs the run. He struggled early this year with it. VS Miami he mostly got to go against the guard, so I don't really blame him for struggling there. Against Kansas he struggled because he 2 gaped the end and bit to hard on Charles, something he can't do. But in his 2 prior seasons he has been good against the run. I'm not going to say he's bad against the run for a few sub par games(in new schemes) and completely disregard his prior success.

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Chandler Jones is an EXCELLENT 43 DE run defender. EXCELLENT. There were a few plays earlier this season where he was caught inside, but still almost made a play, when he was NOT responsible for contain, and some people misinterpreted what they saw. Of course he made some bad plays, ever DL that has ever played the game is blocked sometimes, but overall he is one of the best 43 DEs vs the run in the league.

GBs Oline was much better then SDs..but still a good effort up front for the sacks and pressure

Marinlik said:

Disagree on Chandler vs the run. He struggled early this year with it. VS Miami he mostly got to go against the guard, so I don't really blame him for struggling there. Against Kansas he struggled because he 2 gaped the end and bit to hard on Charles, something he can't do. But in his 2 prior seasons he has been good against the run. I'm not going to say he's bad against the run for a few sub par games(in new schemes) and completely disregard his prior success.

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Absolutely. I've been impressed with Chandler's run defense since he first came into the league. I chalk up the first month of the season as bizarre strategy that I hope we never see again.

Gronkowski123 said:

excellent pickups.
wisenhunt is a clown for not using ayers. oh well, our gain!

thought casillas made a few plays as well.

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I'm very fond of Casillas I would like to see him back here in 2015. He is a solid four down player.

JackBauer said:

Casillas, too. Looks to be everything you want in a sub LB. BB has done a terrific job stocking depth mid-season, and I think all three of these guys should be kept around after the season.

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Maybe these guys are making the extra effort and motivation due to good chance of going and winning a SB?

zipster9 said:

Maybe these guys are making the extra effort and motivation due to good chance of going and winning a SB?

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Perhaps.

And perhaps, in addition, they (Ayers, Casillas, Branch and Chung) are making the "extra" effort because they hope that this effort will help them secure a good contract from someone next year.

mgteich said:

Perhaps.

And perhaps, in addition, they (Ayers, Casillas, Branch and Chung) are making the "extra" effort because they hope that this effort will help them secure a good contract from someone next year.

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I think Ayers is definitely going to create interest elsewhere. Assuming we extend Revis which gives us enough money for McCourty and Chung. I doubt if we will be afford to bring him back in a reserve role. Casillas and Branch are more role players IMO. We might be able to bring them back. Would be great to end up trading back 6-8 picks for Ayers. And, then end up with a compensation pick for him.

patsfaninpa said:

I think Ayers is definitely going to create interest elsewhere. Assuming we extend Revis which gives us enough money for McCourty and Chung. I doubt if we will be afford to bring him back in a reserve role. Casillas and Branch are more role players IMO. We might be able to bring them back. Would be great to end up trading back 6-8 picks for Ayers. And, then end up with a compensation pick for him.

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Signing Revis will save $13M from the current cap projections, even at a contract with an AAV of $14M-$16M. This $13M savings is more than enough to cover the first year cap on contracts for all of McCourty, Ayers, Casillas, Branch and Chung. We should remember that there are almost no significant free agents in 2016.

BTW, this still still leaves the following sources of additional cap money to deal miscellaneous ca costs and for additional players like Gostkowski, Vereen, and Connolly.
1) restucture of Brady moving money from 2015 salary to bonus (no net comp change)
2) restucture of Wilfork moving money from 2015 salary to bonus (no net comp change)
3) new construct for Mayo, moving money fro 2105 salary to bonus (with or without a change in comp)
4) extension of Arrington
5) cut of Amendola (with or without a re-signing)
6) extension of Solder

[QUOTE="PatsFan2, post: 4015864, member: 3864.....] Ayers he looks like a versatile LB who can play inside and out he looked better than Revis making that Int last night .....[/QUOTE]

Let's not get carried away.....

Man i can't wait to get Jones back and healthy with this crew...

shmessy said:

[QUOTE="PatsFan2, post: 4015864, member: 3864.....] Ayers he looks like a versatile LB who can play inside and out he looked better than Revis making that Int last night .....

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Let's not get carried away.....[/QUOTE]

Actually, LB INTs are commonly impressive because of the quick reactions involved. Most memorable for me is Bruschi in the Snow Globe game. (My name for the game in which fans threw handfuls of snow in the air in partial lieu of clapping.)