5 Best Defensive Free Agents for Pats

[Ring 6]

In a lot of schemes, yeah. In this scheme, length and bulk are everything. Other than TBC (who was a 7th round pick), the shortest OLB he's ever drafted is Cunningham, who is two inches taller than Woodley. Bill is extremely picky with his OLBs. We've seen this in how he's drafted (2 OLBs in the top 3 rounds, none in the first). It makes sense that he'd be just as picky when he's handing somebody a $30M contract.

When I have some free time this weekend, I'll rewatch the Steelers game and see how many times Woodley took on a blocker, rather than trying to shoot the game. I'm guessing it's not many. Being short and having shorter-than-ideal arms works when your goal is to run right around blockers. When you're supposed to take them on, not so much.

Prototypical size is no more important in our scheme than any other. The difference is our protoypical size is different than most every other team.
I dont really think its a matter of BB being 'picky' about OLBs. I think its a matter than no one who would play OLB for us would ever play OLB in college, at any school. That makes drafting an OLB more risky than any other position. On top of the typical risks, you must project a position change.
Many teams undervalue that risk because they will either play them at DE in a 1gap 43 and ask them to do nothing but rush the passer, or will play them as a 34 OLB doing the same, just asking them to rush the majority of the time and play 1 gap run D along the way. They have a success if they simply assess pass rush skills well. We ask more of the position.
Its not that BB is picky, but that he asks more of that position so players who have question marks to us have fewer to other teams and are drafted much higher than we would be willing to take them, and when our pick arrives, the position is picked clean of anyone who would have that high of a grade for us.
Ultimatley a number of them do develop into good players. Woodley is one of them. My point is players make plays, not measurables. The guys with the measurables work out more often than the guys without, but once they are experienced NFL players the measurables are out the window.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Hali or Woodley would be nice.
Champ Bailey is intriguing. Can he convert to free safety and turn into the Pats version of Rod Woodson?

Bailey is on record saying he wants to change positions in 2-3 years to prolong his career.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I hope Vrabel comes back to NE to sign a 1 day contract....so he can retire as a New England Patriot!:rocker:

 

[mcsully]

Listen, I wanted the Patriots to Draft Woodley, and even made videos showcasing the skills I thought he possessed .

260 is plenty big. Brushci was really somewhere between 235-245 (really 235 IMO, but listed at 245)

Colvin was 6-3 and 250lbs during his years with the Pats. Tully Banta Cain is 6'2 and 250lbs. Jermaine Cunningham is 6-3 and 260lbs. I am assuming that the bulk of the player and not his height would affect the problems that Bruschi deswcribed. Basically, based on this assumption, the Pats might as well cut both TBC and Cunningham because neither will be affective as OLBs on this defense.

I'm gunho for a LB that can come in and day one and fullfill all our desires.. But its not going to be Woodley.. Not because he weights 260-275lbs its because he's he's under 6'1. Bruschi made it a point to say the LB needs to see over the the top and read the play..Graham's name came up last year during the party and I recall the comments weren't glowing for him to come to the Pats. So if Graham, same size, doesn't fit the scheme, Woodley won't.. Since this was last years predraft party, Bruschi said someone like Ricky Sapp and Sergio Kindle had the frames to play our defense.. I even remember saying he's never watched them but they are the type of frame that fits the pats... He loved Gronk..

I was lucky to listen to this 1st hand and knowing what I heard, we're not going after him..

 

[BradyBranch39]

It will be very interesting to see how the champ bailey saga plays out. I'm just throwing this out there, but I haven't heard anyone talk of jonathan joseph. It appears that the bengals may franchise him, but if they don't, any possibility of him coming to the pats you think?

Leon Hall may be out there as well, right?

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't see how either would be better than, say, Ngata or Hali, for example.

Talk about player stock dropping -what did Ngata and Hali do to end everyone's assumption they'll be tagged?

 

[sebman2112]

I'm gunho for a LB that can come in and day one and fullfill all our desires.. But its not going to be Woodley.. Not because he weights 260-275lbs its because he's he's under 6'1. Bruschi made it a point to say the LB needs to see over the the top and read the play..Graham's name came up last year during the party and I recall the comments weren't glowing for him to come to the Pats. So if Graham, same size, doesn't fit the scheme, Woodley won't.. Since this was last years predraft party, Bruschi said someone like Ricky Sapp and Sergio Kindle had the frames to play our defense.. I even remember saying he's never watched them but they are the type of frame that fits the pats... He loved Gronk..

I was lucky to listen to this 1st hand and knowing what I heard, we're not going after him..

OK, what was this exactly? I'm sorry but you quoted the first little segment of my post, and then proceeded to leave out the parts where I point out that Woodley's around 6'2", Graham's not his clone, and I didn't like him pre daft....That's called cherry picking.

Something that we haven't talked about all that much within this thread is that LaMarr is a powerful bull rusher at his size, who plays with a mean streak, and has the ability to take on bigger blockers at the POA. Your points about Bruschi's comments would make more sense if NE hadn't signed someone like Adalius Thomas (6'2" 270), who was successful his first year plus, he just started to get the injury bug, and the Patriots dropped him back into coverage a little more than I would have liked, but that's for another discussion. They also brought back a guy like Tully Banta-Cain who's around Woodley's height, but weighs less, and he had some success in the system, but if we're being honest, he's never been on Woodley's level talent wise. BB even gave up multiple draft picks to acquire Derrick Burgess, who was also of similar size, but at the tail end of his career.

You can't simply go by a player's "frame". Kindle is a basket case, and wouldn't have been worth the investment in a BB defense. I liked Ricky Sapp, but he's basically got a little over one inch on Woodley, which I wouldn't qualify as a much larger frame. If anything he can't carry his current weight, as he's less athletic at 252lbs, than Woodley at 270lbs, and he doesn't have the power to set the edge you would like at 34 OLB.

 

[andrewgarrr]

The guys with the measurables work out more often than the guys without, but once they are experienced NFL players the measurables are out the window.

Agreed. Not only for 34 OLB but for any position.

 

[makoute]

OK, what was this exactly? I'm sorry but you quoted the first little segment of my post, and then proceeded to leave out the parts where I point out that Woodley's around 6'2", Graham's not his clone, and I didn't like him pre daft....That's called cherry picking.

Something that we haven't talked about all that much within this thread is that LaMarr is a powerful bull rusher at his size, who plays with a mean streak, and has the ability to take on bigger blockers at the POA. Your points about Bruschi's comments would make more sense if NE hadn't signed someone like Adalius Thomas (6'2" 270), who was successful his first year plus, he just started to get the injury bug, and the Patriots dropped him back into coverage a little more than I would have liked, but that's for another discussion. They also brought back a guy like Tully Banta-Cain who's around Woodley's height, but weighs less, and he had some success in the system, but if we're being honest, he's never been on Woodley's level talent wise. BB even gave up multiple draft picks to acquire Derrick Burgess, who was also of similar size, but at the tail end of his career.

You can't simply go by a player's "frame". Kindle is a basket case, and wouldn't have been worth the investment in a BB defense. I liked Ricky Sapp, but he's basically got a little over one inch on Woodley, which I wouldn't qualify as a much larger frame. If anything he can't carry his current weight, as he's less athletic at 252lbs, than Woodley at 270lbs, and he doesn't have the power to set the edge you would like at 34 OLB.

My only problem with Woodley is that would he have the same success if he didn't have Harrison on the other side of him, it's hard to say who is the guy in the Pitts front seven.

 

[mcsully]

OK, what was this exactly? I'm sorry but you quoted the first little segment of my post, and then proceeded to leave out the parts where I point out that Woodley's around 6'2", Graham's not his clone, and I didn't like him pre daft....That's called cherry picking. .

You misunderstood why I only copied and pasted a portion of each of your responses. I didn't want a 3 page response..

Woodley is "possibly" one inch taller than Graham.. and their weight is the same.. They come from the same program and are built very much the same..

Thomas was legit for aobut 6-8 games in his 1st season.. After that, he was a disappointment..

You can't simply go by a player's "frame". Kindle is a basket case, and wouldn't have been worth the investment in a BB defense. I liked Ricky Sapp, but he's basically got a little over one inch on Woodley, which I wouldn't qualify as a much larger frame. If anything he can't carry his current weight, as he's less athletic at 252lbs, than Woodley at 270lbs, and he doesn't have the power to set the edge you would like at 34 OLB.

Like I said, 2 times before going on 3, just recalling what my man Bruschi said.. And I'll take Teddy all day over anything I read here..

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Two words: Adam Seward.

 

[TriplecHamp]

My only problem with Woodley is that would he have the same success if he didn't have Harrison on the other side of him, it's hard to say who is the guy in the Pitts front seven.

no offense but I hate this type of logic. There are two good players on a team so one of them must be the reason for the others success. We heard it about Clay Matthews, Brian Cushing, and Rey Maualuga most recently.

 

[IcyPatriot]

He has already said he would go to 31 teams and guess which one he said he wouldn't go to.

Seymour to the AFC East as a nose tackle ...