3 Free Agent Linebackers brought in for tryout

[Marqui]

The Ryan experiment may actually have more to do with 2015 than this season. McCourty's deal is up and he is going to get really good money and there's a good chance it will be from another team. I think he's a really good young player and hope they get a deal done with him but they are going to have to pony up the cash to get it done. If he decides he wants the biggest payday he's gone and Ryan has a skillset to be his eventual replacement. I hope it doesn't come to that but it could well be what Belichick is preparing for.

McCourty's going to be gone like Mankins and Wilfork?

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

You have to keep Mccourty he is a leader on the field a role model to the young players.
His best football is still yet to come,
Very charitable great locker room guy.
Squeaky clean off the field, he is everything you look for in a player in the NFL.
You do anything to keep that kind of player.
I would be more than OK losing Wilfork, Mankins, and this is going to sound awful but if Brady greatly regresses.
I would do anything to keep a dominant secondary together, what better for a young qb then a dominant defense.
So if Brady really regresses or gets hurt and one of Mallett or Grap come in and show they can win games.
Then I build the team for the future, not bet the farm on our aging veterans.
No way we should let a dominant secondary and a class act like Mccourty leave our beloved team.

 

[patfanken]

Agree on the coverage problems Sup but I am curious as to where you think hightower will line up, because i started out thinking he would be in the middle but the more i think about it the more i think he will be the SAM with Mayo the MIKE and Collins the WILL. I don't think Hightower can cover well enough to play the middle, and i think he would be better suited coming off the edge.

I think you bring up one of the most interesting questions we will all be looking at come TC. You can make a strong position for having Hightower at both the Sam and Mike. You can make a strong argument for having Mayo at both the Mike and Will. And if it wasn't confusing enough, you could make a strong argument for having Collins at both the Sam and Will.

For example: Collins clearly has the ideal length and speed to cover TE's, so t would seem he's best suited to play the Sam in passing situations. On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for putting Hightower at the Sam to take advantage of his edge rushing ability. Mayo's already a proven presence in the middle, but he's also probably the best suited to cover RB's out of the backfield.

In the end, the most likely answer will be "all of the above". Just like the DB's and DL, I think position flexibility at LB will be the reason that, based on the situation, we will see our LB's playing all over the place. The more I think on it, the more I'm convinced that this defense is going to make it hard to easily label what positions players are playing going into a week. The beauty of the versatile talent on this team is that virtually every player can play multiple positions.....and most likely WILL.

 

[goheels22002]

Stevenson Sylvester is the most interesting to me. He's 25, played four years with the Steelers and has the least wear and tear. He's small for a LB, though. 6-2, 235. If he can cover, he's interesting. Drafted by the Steelers as a 5th rounder with coverage skills:

"Pick Analysis: Sylvester has been a highly productive player for the Utah defense over the past three seasons. He has a good frame to gain additional bulk and this should help his overall game at the next level. Sylvester is a high energy defender that has excellent instincts and is rarely out of position. He has some trouble taking on large lineman between the tackles and is best when covered up. Sylvester does a nice job maintaining leverage with proper angles and hand use to work through traffic. He has better range than his timed speed would indicate and gets to the pile often outside the hashes. Stevenson has excellent quickness, balance and agility in coverage but needs to improve his ability when in a blitz mode. Sylvester is an excellent collegiate football player that should eventually start in the NFL."

 

[woolster22]

You have to keep Mccourty he is a leader on the field a role model to the young players.
His best football is still yet to come,
Very charitable great locker room guy.
Squeaky clean off the field, he is everything you look for in a player in the NFL.
You do anything to keep that kind of player.
I would be more than OK losing Wilfork, Mankins, and this is going to sound awful but if Brady greatly regresses.
I would do anything to keep a dominant secondary together, what better for a young qb then a dominant defense.
So if Brady really regresses or gets hurt and one of Mallett or Grap come in and show they can win games.
Then I build the team for the future, not bet the farm on our aging veterans.
No way we should let a dominant secondary and a class act like Mccourty leave our beloved team.

I liked what you said until Vince et al...

 

[VJCPatriot]

I am struggling to find words to respond to such a ridiculous post. You really don't think Hightower will be able to stop 'any' RB in the league?



That's a video showing what Hightower does versus the run. He's very quick, smart and strong. He isn't some crappy bust. He hasn't reached his full potential yet and is already worthy of a starting spot. No way he'll struggle with 'any RB..or even FB'.

I think he meant against the pass. Hightower isn't our quickest linebacker.
That's why I expect to see him lining up at the Mike.

Mike - Hightower
Will - Mayo
Sam - Collins

Collins is actually our key guy - because if he goes down we lose a lot of athleticism and coverage ability vs receiving backs/tight ends.

 

[Urgent]

Mike Reiss on James Anderson:
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...763363/quick-hit-thoughts-around-nfl-pats-181
Excerpt:

He was part of Chicago’s nickel package last season and at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds was viewed as a player whose athleticism and coverage skill trumped his physicality. He led the Bears in tackles, but Chicago, which struggled on defense in 2013, made little effort to re-sign him. The Bears had to rely heavily on Anderson last season, but in New England, he’d be more of a complementary/depth option and I could see his smarts and versatility potentially appealing to the coaching staff to challenge for that type of role.

 

[captain stone]

I think he meant against the pass. Hightower isn't our quickest linebacker.
That's why I expect to see him lining up at the Mike.

Mike - Hightower
Will - Mayo
Sam - Collins

Collins is actually our key guy - because if he goes down we lose a lot of athleticism and coverage ability vs receiving backs/tight ends.

That's exactly what I meant: Hightower is obviously quite stout vs the run, but brutal in coverage. Sorry for the confusion.
Interestingly, he could be one of the few MLBs ever to take meaningful snaps at DE, if given the chance.

 

[rookBoston]

Every off-season there's an under the radar FA signing that makes a big difference to the team during the season... I think Anderson is the one. He's a capable guy that this staff can maximize. Not an All-Pro, but a solid complementary piece for a roster that clearly needs LB depth.

 

[mgteich]

For some of us, backup linebacker was the most serious need going into the draft, although not necessarily our highest draft priority. Many of thought thought that we might have drafted a linebacker had a higher rated one been available at 29.

So, yes, I strongly agree that Anderson was a fine addition.

Every off-season there's an under the radar FA signing that makes a big difference to the team during the season... I think Anderson is the one. He's a capable guy that this staff can maximize. Not an All-Pro, but a solid complementary piece for a roster that clearly needs LB depth.

 

[Mack Herron]

Anderson can be a solid contributor in coverage. Probably not the answer if one of the big guys goes down.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...d/4763789/film-study-on-new-lb-james-anderson