Does Easley's Release Change How You View Team Needs?

Ochmed Jones said:

They could replace Easley with Hargrove of sc state.

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Good call. One of the most explosive DTs in the draft.

manxman2601 said:

There are options guys:

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This has crossed my mind a few times during this draft season. I've been wondering if when they were scouting Brown , Ridgeway caught their eye.

He was very good playing along side Brown. 48 tackles, 10 TFL and 6 Sacks as a Sophmore.

Ridgeway is a GREAT choice no matter what you decide to do with your front IMO. PLUS the chemistry he will have in place with Malcom Brown (someone I predict will have a monstrous sophomore season), could end up being a great story.

He's honestly flying incredibly low on the radar considering all things. He is one of the best overall DT prospects in this draft on the interior and he's capable of hurting an offense in pass and run. Really good getting off blocks, penetrating and swallowing up RB's and QBs. He's very thick and muscular. Only questions are minor injury concern (Back Pain...), Maturity (coming out as a Junior) and Motivation.

He's def a binkie of mine.

Switching to 3-4 defense seems to align with the Patriots interest in tall/long players to play DE Jihad Ward, Chris Jones, Vernon Butler, Sterling Bailey and Joel Heath.

For me the fact the Steelers are reportedly interested in Braxton Miller I would say trade up to get him Im pretty serious they rarely miss on Receivers. I will be sick if we dont take him we draft another receiver just to see them be a bust.

AzorianPats said:

First name that popped into my head to replace Easley was Jonathan Bullard, but maybe it's time to cross off players from Florida?

That's a school we have no luck with

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Yea I had him in my own mock draft. Definitely need to re-think that pick now. No more Florida players in rounds 1-3

ChrisR2223 said:

For me the fact the Steelers are reportedly interested in Braxton Miller I would say trade up to get him Im pretty serious they rarely miss on Receivers. I will be sick if we dont take him we draft another receiver just to see them be a bust.

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One thing you need to remember, though, is that their offense is significantly less complex than the Pats'. Not to excuse the Pats' difficulties finding receivers, or not give the Steelers credit for finding them, but it's a lot easier to find them when your offensive style involves freelancing downfield passes. Pittsburgh's been the best at drafting wideouts for that system style, but that doesn't mean it would translate into the Pats' system.

There is a certain type of street-smart, instant and instinctual recognition that you need with the Pats system - you need to memorize the role to start with, but then it needs to make logical sense to you so that adjustments are instinctive even in situations not discussed, and you need the street smarts to recognize all the cues. I consider myself a strong book-smart guy, but I wouldn't be able to handle it even if I had the athletic ability. I don't pick up on those street-smart cues quickly enough.

Yes very much so. A guy like Bullard I thought would be a niche player and redundant here behind Easley but even if all he is is a pass rushing DT that spot has shot up in value for me with Easley gone and i would look to target him. I never had anything against his ability. It was simply i saw him as a pass rusher DT that might not be a guy you wanna play much on first or second and medium and i questioned his skills at DE.

Well you can debate all that but none of it matters now. We need a DT pass rusher and it is that simple.

manxman2601 said:

Good call. One of the most explosive DTs in the draft.

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Writing him up as we speak. That butt. He is a real fun guy to watch if any of you have not seen him yet.
Just an FYI-Sheldon Day will not make my big board, hope that doesn't rub people the wrong way. Seems like he is really liked on here.
If the Patriots want to stay in the same scheme, I agree with many of you on here that Bullard would be a great fit. I really liked him but was not going to put him on here because of the repetition with Easley, but now I think I will throw him in the mix.

I think we will still draft Jaylon Smith with pick #60 and Keenan Reynolds with pick #61.

midwestpatsfan said:

Writing him up as we speak. That butt. He is a real fun guy to watch if any of you have not seen him yet.
Just an FYI-Sheldon Day will not make my big board, hope that doesn't rub people the wrong way. Seems like he is really liked on here.
If the Patriots want to stay in the same scheme, I agree with many of you on here that Bullard would be a great fit. I really liked him but was not going to put him on here because of the repetition with Easley, but now I think I will throw him in the mix.

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No reason to think that not having Day on your BB would rub people up the wrong way, we like who we like. Day is limited, I can see why you wouldn't have him on your board. In my view he can do what Easley does so I think he'll be a good substitute for Easley but that's probably Day's limit, a sub rusher.

ChrisR2223 said:

For me the fact the Steelers are reportedly interested in Braxton Miller I would say trade up to get him Im pretty serious they rarely miss on Receivers. I will be sick if we dont take him we draft another receiver just to see them be a bust.

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See: Urban Mayer players that go the Patriots and why that should give you pause of wanting a WR project like Miller.

manxman2601 said:

DT surely has to be bumped up as a need now doesn't it?

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ot and a dropping DT were my wants before Easley dumped. I never trusted his ability
to stay healthy.

IllegalContact said:

Easley does not need to be replaced....he did not have much of an impact regardless of his potential

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I see Chris Long sliding inside in some of our sub-packages.

Jimke said:

I think we will still draft Jaylon Smith with pick #60 and Keenan Reynolds with pick #61.

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That would be a nightmare. Reynolds with anything higher than a 6th would be inexplicable. Worse than tavon wilson.

Javon Hargrave would be a good Easley replacement. Edit. Didn't realize that exact statement was made earlier in thread.

I can say right now that if bb takes Keenan reynold with one of The second or third round picks ill be beyond upset, even more than when when we drafted tavon Wilson or Jordan Richards. But I also have to give bb the benefit of the doubt and trust how he has his big board set up because there has to be a reason the player is rated so highly. Or at least thats what I tell myself from going insane with seemingly wasted picks.

Everyone says Harmon was a wasted pick. Hard to say that today. A pick made on April 29th is not a wasted pick on April 30th.

I think that OT and DT/DE are the 1st two picks for the Pats..

I respect Rich Hill, but I don't see the Pats having the personnel to switch to a 3-4. Linebacker is a very thin position for them. Sheard did not do as well in the 3-4 as he does in the 4-3.

3-4:
DE: Branch, Brown, Chris Jones, Kearse, Markus Kuhn, Vellano
NT: Knighton, Branch, Kitchen
OLB: Ninkovich, Sheard, Long*, McClellin, Flowers, Grissom, Johnson
ILB: Collins, Hightower, Freeny, Bostic, Snyder, Vaughters

I have Branch listed as both DE and NT because I believe he'd be used at both..
I do not know if Chris Long has ever played OLB in the 3-4..


4-3 / 4-2:
DT: Knighton, Branch, Brown, Kearse, Kuhn, Chris Jones, Kitchen, Vellano
DE: Ninkovich, Sheard, Long, Flowers, Grissom, Johnson
LB: Collins, Hightower, McClellin, Freeney, Bostic, Snyder, Vaughters

To me, the 4/3 with a 4/2 of Collins and Hightower makes the most sense regardless of who they draft.. The 3-4/3-3 does not..

The players I put in BOLD are ones who are UFA after this season.

I could very easily see the Pats take 2 DTs and a LB with 3 of their 1st 4 picks..

But High Collins Sheard need to be back

ChrisR2223 said:

But High Collins Sheard need to be back

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I would add Logan Ryan to your list. And, extend M. Butler. Don't want to go thru that
shell game at cb again.