Alfonzo Dennard

[The Gr8est]

Hightower was definitely my college binky this past year and didn't dare dream that BB might pick such a high-profile player. What.A.Beast!!!

How you doing, Gr8? Missing u over in game chat!

Hi Lisa, gr8 talking to you again. Chat might sound good again. Pats game threads seem to be universally unreadable.

Chicken Littles honor no boundaries.

 

[Alfred]

Chandler Jones
Donte Hightower
Tavon Wilson
Alfonzo Dennard

The Pats also got promising players in Jake Bequette and Nate Ebner (who could really be a player with experience based on the instincts he has displayed)

Just one miss in Jeremy Ebert; not a bad draft crop at all.

:rocker:

Wilson was very visible on a lot of plays.

 

[The Gr8est]

Wilson was very visible on a lot of plays.

True, and I honestly have not seen one time this season when I saw a bad play where it looked like he was a culprit.

 

[mgteich]

The coaches will quickly cure Dennard's tendency to turn and look for the ball.

He stuck with his man, turned and looked for the ball, and then he made plays on the ball. Also, he tackled very well. I hope that he continues on this path.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Dennard was awesome yesterday.

 

[Double TE]

I know its taboo but since this is like old and stuff here is what the scouts thought of Dennard.


Instincts/Recognition

3

Good instincts in man-coverage. Deciphers routes early. Shows consistent focus. Reads receiver and quickly reacts to any kind of break but may react better than anticipates. Has flashed a tendency to bite on double cut but not a consistent problem seen on tape. Confident in his ability and has necessary selective amnesia.



Cover Skills

2

"Quick-twitch athlete with very good balance and body control. Changes directions quickly and can shadow receiver's initial stem. Lacks ideal height but is thick and physical in coverage. Above average press-technique (does a nice job of using inside hand against outside release, and vice-versa) and can re-route bigger receivers. Closes quickly when coming forward and consistently cuts off the slant. Shows adequate fluidity in hips and can turn and run without losing anything in transition. Top-end speed on tape is concerning, though. Lacks burst to recover from mistakes. Clutches and grabs too much when running with WRs on vertical routes. Will likely need to be protected vertically and best position in NFL might be as No. 3 slot cover corner."



Ball Skills

4

Ball skills are below average. Flashes ability to make a play on 50-50 ball but leaves too many INTs on the field. Looks to bat some balls away that he should attack with both hands. Drops passes that should be INTs. Will be late locating the ball over his shoulder on occasion. Does not appear to have great leaping ability and will mistime some jumps.



Run Support

3

"Flashed strong punch and does not back down from bigger receivers. Does a great job of making sure he maintains outside contain. But he is more physical in coverage than he is in run support, he takes too long to get off blocks, and he is a subpar tackler. Does too much reaching and hoping, and not enough squaring up and wrapping up. "

 

[Betterthanmost]

It is significant that he did not allow a completion. In most cases you will think he was not targeted, far from that. Manning went after him hard. People are saying he had help with Chung, but if you see some of the shots, Chung was nowhere near to help. Having help from Chung in this game was suicidal if you depended on it.
I have heard from someone in the know that the game plan was design for the safeties to have their backs to the ball because they wanted Manning to make the difficult throws deep and thus the safeties were asked to play very close to the LOS.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What's happening with MCCourty is the same thing that happened with Ellis Hobbs

Hobbs would have been a star Cornerback, but at least once every 2 games he got called for PI and was always with his back to the ball hoping to have the pass bounce off the receiver instead of trying to face the ball and get the INT.

That's why he never was good enough and Devin is following that path

 

[PatsFan2]

There is no secret to Dennard 1st Round Talent 8th Round Character. We all know he has talent it's just his of field issues if he can keep his nose clean. We might have just what we are looking for in our Secondary. By the way how did Ras-I Dowling play Sunday? Thought i saw his but.

 

[condon84]

The coaches will quickly cure Dennard's tendency to turn and look for the ball.

They did a good job with McCourty.

 

[Avenger]

There is no secret to Dennard 1st Round Talent 8th Round Character. We all know he has talent it's just his of field issues if he can keep his nose clean. We might have just what we are looking for in our Secondary. By the way how did Ras-I Dowling play Sunday? Thought i saw his but.

He played the S/LB role that Wilson usually plays.

 

[rookBoston]

People need to stop talking about the guy like he's a seventh round pick. He had second round talent written all over him and was projected as high during the process. At worst, he'd have been a third round pick.

He dropped because of an arrest one week before the draft assaulting an off duty police officer who had grabbed him from behind during a confrontation with another man without even announcing himself. What would you have done? Police, being police, took it way too far.

He's a second round calibre player and therefore should be contributing on a regular basis which, after getting hurt and being held back, he should do from here on out.

Stop acting so surprised.

We've had plenty of 2nd round DBs wash out. Wheatley and Butler come to mind. Even if Dennard were a 2nd, it would still be worth a bit of surprise.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Love Bedard's weekly tweets after watching game film. Had this earlier:

Impressive. Hey, look, a guy that knows when to turn RT @BobFuton: What'd the tape say on Dennard?

 

[Deus Irae]

As someone who's never been a fan of Mr. Moore's play, my sincere hope is that Dennard passes Moore on the depth chart and never looks back.

 

[ausbacker]

It is significant that he did not allow a completion. In most cases you will think he was not targeted, far from that. Manning went after him hard. People are saying he had help with Chung, but if you see some of the shots, Chung was nowhere near to help. Having help from Chung in this game was suicidal if you depended on it.
I have heard from someone in the know that the game plan was design for the safeties to have their backs to the ball because they wanted Manning to make the difficult throws deep and thus the safeties were asked to play very close to the LOS.

In regards to Chung, that's generally the problem.

 

[DocHoliday]

Moore's playmaking ability (but lack of man to man covering) lends him useful to safety play, doesn't it?

I'd really like to see Moore play some FS. Dennard taking his place would seem to be an asset otherwise.

 

[ATippett56]

Moore's playmaking ability (but lack of man to man covering) lends him useful to safety play, doesn't it?

Playmaking ability?

I'd really like to see Moore play some FS. Dennard taking his place would seem to be an asset otherwise.

I'd rather see Sterling Moore riding the bench.

 

[DocHoliday]

Playmaking ability?

I'd rather see Sterling Moore riding the bench.

I can't recall any other players with a pattern of stripping balls.

I don't give credit to CBs for most interceptions honestly. At least in the Pats defensive scheme they appear to be more of a function of scheme and poor QB play rather than any sort of active play on the corner's part.

A strip on the other hand is indicative of some sort of proactive ability. He hits hard and he can do 'it'. Can't cover though. Lets keep the ball in front of him and let him do his thing.

 

[supafly]

Playmaking ability?

I'd rather see Sterling Moore riding the bench.

Of course we all want to see Dennard pass Moore, that's a no-brainer.

We need better play from our safeties; but also our CB's. I am hoping that Dennard was able to get his feet wet and be a good addition to this secondary.

For a back end of the roster guy, Moore isn't any different from any other player around the NFL. Every year we seem to have too many Antwaan Moldens, or James Ihedigbos, so I'm not sure why anyone would be getting on someone who has already proven himself as an upgrade?

As far as your "playmaking ability" question, maybe you should go back to the last 4 or 5 games of the season to try and refresh your memory. FYI--Moore led the team in passes defended with TEN, (in the last 5 games), had 2 INT's, a TD return from an INT, a timely strip of the Evans pass to clinch the AFC Championship, and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl which should have stopped the NYG's first touchtown drive inside the 5 yard line.
So far this year we've seen him do a very good job on Larry Fitzgerald (with the right safety help), and he has 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble. That's not too bad of an 8 game stretch right there, especially when compared to many of our other backup players in the secondary of the past.

Unfortunately, he isn't a starting caliber CB who should be covering the other teams' 6'4" #1 wide receiver either. I'll even take it one step further and say that he shouldn't be man-to-man on much of anyone and is MUCH better suited to be playing zone.

That said, he did a pretty decent job on Larry Fitzgerald with proper safety help. I have to assume that was probably the plan in this game too, at least to some extent. Moore is what he is, but I think the safeties are letting us down too. Let's remember that we had a rookie starting his first game ever...and Patrick Chung offering help on Demarius Thomas. I hardly doubt that Belichick felt that Moore could keep up with Thomas without proper safety help. Hopefully we won't need that if Dennard can take over the role more.

I still personally think that Moore would be better suited for a role playing safety, in the Brandon McGowan mold where he comes in to help cover specialized assignments like the TE's over the middle etc. Even if that isn't the case, I still think he's better suited to be a rotational safety. In an absolute worst-case scenario he can earn his roster spot #50/51/52/53 by being a backup CB. I certainly did not expect him to be starting, let alone trying to cover other teams' #1's.

I would assume that Belichick knows what he's doing, and he will find some type of role for him, even if that means a lessened amt of playing time and a backup role.

 

[supafly]

Moore's playmaking ability (but lack of man to man covering) lends him useful to safety play, doesn't it?

I'd really like to see Moore play some FS. Dennard taking his place would seem to be an asset otherwise.

I tend to agree with you too, and always have, but some of the experts here (mostly the ones who claimed he'd never make the team, let alone see the field) feel that he's somehow better suited to play CB. I think he has proven that he can effectively do some things well--not great of course, but well. In that same token he has also proven that he struggles with certain things, in the same way that our #1 safety does (and #1 CB....and #2 CB....and big name LB's like Spikes, Mayo, etc).

If Dennard can provide a better man-to-man coverage ability, as we're all assuming that he can do, then YES!! I want to see him take over that role.

I'm not a huge Edelman or Moore supporter, but I grew impatient of those who tried to not see any type of role for them whatsoever and that's why I tend to root for the underdog. I'd much rather see Welker and Dennard if that means having a significant improvement, and it does.

I simply felt as though both Moore and Edelman did have something to offer as more specialized role players that every team is in need of. Those who couldn't see that, or couldn't see the pattern that Belichick likes/needs those kinds of players on his TEAM haven't paid much attention.